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Thursday, March 31, 2005

Neat Space Pics (08:50 PM) - I may be late to the party on this one, but NASA’s new Blue Marble photographs are up. They look incredible….

Berger’s Back (06:12 PM) - Sandy Berger will plead guilty to stealing classified material, Fox is reporting. Berger was the United States’ National Security Advisor until Clinton for most of the four years prior to September 11th. He has been under investigation for more than…

If This Is True (05:22 PM) - It is just terrible, terrible: “Schiavo’s Parents Denied Access At Moment Of Death” As Jeff Jarvis says, political until the end. UPDATE: This is also not right. (Via e-mail)…

More Good Economic News (03:53 PM) - WASHINGTON (AP) - Americans’ incomes, bolstered by strong gains in hiring, rose by 0.3 percent in February while consumer spending climbed at an even faster pace of 0.5 percent, the government reported Thursday. The news in the job market wasn’t…

Why Diversity Matters On Campus (03:47 PM) - Todd Zywicki writes about it here….

Not Quite Ex Post Facto (02:42 PM) - Following up on this post, a reader provides two more pre-war quotes from President Bush that flesh out the democracy doctrine, showing that it is far more than an ex post facto argument for war with Iraq….

United Against Bolton (12:25 PM) - Acts together, congressional Dems are planning to uniformly oppose the appointment of John Bolton to the post of US ambassador to the United Nations. It is important that Bolton get in there. The Journal and Roger L. Simon can’t do…

Reminder (12:24 PM) - HBO’s Air America documentary airs tonight at 8p. No HBO here at Dartmouth, so someone will have to let me know how it was….

Counterbalance (12:13 PM) - In a symbolic move aimed at demonstrating counterbalancing abilities, the EU has given the United States a deadline for repealing the Byrd Amendment, or else face economic sanctions.The European Commission said its action would be joined soon by seven other…

At The Tone, The Time Will Be… (08:55 AM) - In today’s Journal, Bill Kauffman has a fascinating review (WSJ pay-only) of “Spring Forward: The Annual Madness Of Daylight Savings Time”, a book on the history of DST. The myth that it benefits farmers is fully debunked. In fact, it…

More From The Annals Of Useless Studies (07:14 AM) - Despite the existence of nuclear weaponry, the Associated Press is asking Americans if they wish there were no nukes.WASHINGTON (AP) - Most Americans surveyed in a poll say they do not think any country, including the United States, should have…

Global Warming And Ford (07:11 AM) - Ford Motor Company is addressing its more active shareholders and is releasing a report on what global warming means for them. (WSJ pay-only)Ford Motor Co., in the latest move by a big U.S. company to talk up the issue of…

Hostage Situation (07:07 AM) - There is a hostage situation developing in Iraq, involving one American and two Romanians. BAGHDAD, Iraq Mar 31, 2005 — Al-Jazeera satellite channel aired a tape Wednesday that purported to show three Romanian journalists kidnapped in Iraq and a fourth…

The Economist En Retard (07:05 AM) - This leading article in The Economist feels late to the table….

From The Mouths Of Moderates (07:04 AM) - The opener to The New York Sun’s editorial:Just as the conventional wisdom is falling all over itself depicting Senator Clinton as a sensible centrist, along comes a letter signed by the senator herself to remind us of just what an…

The WMD Panel (07:00 AM) - From AP:WASHINGTON - President Bush’s commission on weapons of mass destruction has found that failures throughout U.S. spy agencies led to botched estimates of the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and is recommending dozens of changes to prevent future intelligence…

Take It Up A Notch (06:58 AM) - Evidently, Star Wars fans will be waiting in midnight lines not just for the movie, but for a chance to purchase the first movie toys this week. AICN reports….

DormAid Draws Ire Of Bored Protesters (06:53 AM) - From The Dartmouth:The student-run business, which charges dorm dwellers anywhere from about $18 to $27 per student for a professional scrubbing, dusting and vacuuming, has been the subject of controversy in recent weeks after an editorial in the Harvard Crimson…

Wednesday, March 30, 2005

South Park (10:27 PM) - I understand that South Park, ever the barometer of our times, has taken on the Terri Schaivo case in their latest episode. I will try to catch it the next time it airs….

Dixit Dominus Domino Meo (09:10 PM) - I am listening to Handel’s setting right now on this new Super Audio CD from Deutsche Harmonia Mundi. But, victim that I am of the “the first one you hear” disease, nothing will supplant Mozart’s first offering of the hymn,…

‘Divide Our Customers!’ (08:09 PM) - The way I see it, Starbucks’ new cup-emblazoned promotion is just a dumb idea. UPDATE: Official goal: “In the tradition of coffee houses everywhere, Starbucks has always supported a good, healthy discussion. To get people talking, “The Way I See…

AFL-CIO-GOP? (06:32 PM) - Notorious Wal Mart hater (but otherwise good Republican!) Amanda Morris takes a look at labor unions- and why they might be GOP-friendly- in The Dartmouth Beacon….

What’s The Deal With The Gannon? (06:21 PM) - Does anyone still care about the Jeff Gannon ordeal? Did anyone ever care? Well, The Washington Post does. Did Kos and company ever ask themselves why the MSM never picked up the story big-time? Gannon was a conservative: ding. He…

A Fair Question (03:35 PM) - Those disenchanted with “Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth” have spawned a comical splinter group, “Alumni Asking WTF?”. Unlike the former, there is no need to raise questions about whether “WTF” is unjustly associated with the balloting committee or the administration….

Good Economic News (01:43 PM) - 2004 ends on a high note:WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy ended 2004 with brisk momentum on the strongest surge of corporate profits in three years, the government reported on Wednesday, though there were signs that price pressures might be…

In The Annals Of Useless And Convenient Studies (10:41 AM) - A new study, as reported by WFTV-TV: “Harvard Study: Hitler Held Grudges, Craved Attention”. The article adds that he couldn’t stand criticism. So, like Hillary Clinton, then? Just kidding. I know the intimation is Bush, no need to e-mail and…

The Dubious Activity Of Thought (09:16 AM) - Ammar Abdulhamid is a Syrian heretic: he blogs. Here. And just a few days ago, he was interrogated by a secret police-type unit called Branch 235. Featured prominently on the toolbelt of the fascist interrogators? Abu Ghraib. His account:“So, you…

Getting Serious About Border Security? (07:46 AM) - Not yet.WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 700 additional Border Patrol agents will be sent to Arizona this year to help stop potential terrorists and illegal immigrants from entering the United States from Mexico, officials said on Wednesday. Department of Homeland…

In The News (07:09 AM) - There is a fairly weak article in The Dartmouth this morning about Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth, the group that has been campaigning for no one, and campaigning against the two petition candidates. Some of the piece re-presents ASD’s arguments,…

Duck, The Media Is Coming (07:07 AM) - The Pope now has a feeding tube….

End The Che Thing (06:54 AM) - At Opinion Journal, Bridget Johnson says that it is time for Hollywood to let its doe-eyed adulation for Communism fade away:I’ll bet the big studio execs have never thought—or cared—to do a big-screen adaptation of “The Black Book of Communism:…

Bad News For MSNBC (12:27 AM) - CNN’s Headline News takes third place….

Oil For Annan (12:17 AM) - Carl has a round-up of news and views about Volcker round II….

Tuesday, March 29, 2005

The Nod We All Expect (11:33 PM) - From Reuters’ piece on the upcoming intel reform report, the two lines that we mustn’t let define the Iraq War in the history books:The commission was set up to investigate flaws in the intelligence cited in launching the Iraq war….

To Tajikistan (11:13 PM) - Friend and Professor of Mountain Warfare Jared Smith is setting out for the Middle East. He e-mails in:I’m heading to Tajikistan this Friday with three of my colleges for a Recce and training mission in support of the Tajik military….

Speech Code Update (11:01 PM) - Emmett Hogan updates us on the state of Dartmouth’s speech codes….

A Little Bit Of History Repeating (04:08 PM) - Earlier today I noted that al-Jazeera slammed down its gavel and, in its coverage of the Volcker report, judged Annan not guilty. It should not come as a surprise that the French have, too.Paris - France on Tuesday voiced its…

Those Monologues (12:12 PM) - Mike Adams, professor of criminology at the University of North Carolina, has been sexually harassed! Read his drole (but true) article, and be sure that “those” monologues are nothing but inflammatory tripe. How about a “Love, Its Associated Physical Act,…

Plumbing The Depths Of Churchillism (11:14 AM) - This account of a pow-wow with Ward Churchill gives meaning to the acronym ROFL….

Grokster and MPAA Go To Washington (10:36 AM) - This detailed and balanced report from Ted Bridis gives me hope that the Supreme Court will rule in favor of technology and innovation. Oral arguments take place today….

Reminder: There Are No Terrorists (10:29 AM) - Laura Bush is taking a trip to Afghanistan where, as the Associated Press informs us, “American forces are still battling a stubborn Taliban-led insurgency.”…

The Collegiate Left (10:04 AM) - From WaPo:College Faculties A Most Liberal Lot, Study Finds By Howard Kurtz College faculties, long assumed to be a liberal bastion, lean further to the left than even the most conspiratorial conservatives might have imagined, a new study says. By…

Paul O’Donnell Is Not A Republican (09:44 AM) - He is an opportunist. And chum Randall Terry is not much better. Glenn Reynolds’ advice applies to both: “It may be impossible to shut Randall Terry up — though if I were Karl Rove, I would have tried really hard…

Local News (07:46 AM) - A bit of local news. Panda House, the only good Chinese in Hanover, is closing up shop after allegations of credit card fraud. It is imperative that another Chinese food restaurant take its place….

The Motley Election (07:28 AM) - Scott Johnson at Power Line kindly reminds readers of the highly unequal playing surface of the Dartmouth Trustee election. MORE: Jordan Frank ‘94 writes in to The Dartmouth and criticizes ‘Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth’, the shadowy organization that has…

Sajak On Liberals (07:23 AM) - Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak is wise to let the conversation die:I was discussing the United Sates Supreme Court with on of my many Liberal friends out in Los Angeles when she said, without any discernable embarrassment, that Justice…

Oil Down (07:18 AM) - There seems to be a glut of of oil around, and prices are falling….

Irony That Helps Annan (07:04 AM) - I can’t say this is a surprise:NEW YORK (AP) - Investigators probing the U.N. oil-for-food program in Iraq will criticize U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, his son, and the Swiss company that employed him but will not accuse the U.N. chief…

Monday, March 28, 2005

Market Forces Prevail (09:16 PM) - At Hispanic Pundit, a collegiate protest debunked by economists….

What To Tip The Pizza Guy (09:04 PM) - I knew I’d get an answer. Friend Chris Langevin offers the definitive guide:On my off terms, I drive pizzas for part-time work, so I have been on the receiving end of generous folks and penny pinchers alike. For an average…

“Identify, Assess, Neutralize and Exploit” (08:59 PM) - AP reports:WASHINGTON - President Bush has approved the nation’s first counterintelligence strategy, directing the intelligence agencies to go on the offensive — together — against foreign and terrorist threats. Counterintelligence is the government-wide effort to protect against foreign espionage and…

Autopsy (08:29 PM) - Terri Schiavo will undergo an autopsy, her estranged husband has ordered. He is worried of accusations of wrongdoing prompted by his prior insistence that she be cremated….

The Chicken or the Egg (08:08 PM) - David Adesnik casts a critical eye on the recent Washington Post article that claimed that corporations are having their biddings serviced by Bushco now that their large donations put him back in office. He raises a fair question that WaPo…

U. Chicago Blogging (07:51 PM) - Reminder: The good folks at MaroonBlog are back in action for their spring term. Quelle coincidence! My first classes are tomorrow, too….

Paving The Way For Bloggers? (07:33 PM) - Wi-Fi: Coming to a White House press room near you. From a WaPo article: “One idea under consideration would be to wire the room for high-speed Internet access, which it lacks, and put microphones at each chair, which could help…

A Drawn Bow For Kofi (06:34 PM) - James Taranto plays The World Smallest Violin for depressed Kofi Annan. But is UNSCAM really “the biggest financial scandal in world history”?…

More Oddity At Google (06:23 PM) - So many little “statements” seem to be coming from Google these days. Jeff Harrell looks at the unprecedented lack of Easter festivities, even when the Googleites took great pride in World Water Day last week….

“Osama!” (06:17 PM) - One can only imagine what Mexicans are hearing from Vicente Fox- who is in a tizzy about the Minuteman Project. At a soccer game today, Mexican crowds chanted “Osama… Osama!” at the US players. And booed the national anthem….

Calling Cyberdyne Systems (06:07 PM) - Via my father, I see that the Army’s “Future Combat Systems” program is running into cost problems, with estimates now reaching $145b for all the super-neat gear. But preventing nuclear development outside the US is both cheaper and a better…

Question (06:05 PM) - What is the proper amount to tip a pizza guy? I always assumed that it doesn’t go by percentage, as in a restaurant, but instead one should tip the pizza guy “a few bucks.” But what constitutes a few bucks?…

Travel Day (07:55 AM) - I’ll be driving up to New Hampshire today, so probably no blogging until late afternoon. Have a good day. UPDATE: Anyone who lives in the northeast knows that today was not a good day to drive to New Hampshire. Six…

Troop Level Update (07:51 AM) - The United States does not leave until it wins. And a partial troop withdrawal has begun:WASHINGTON - The top U.S. military commander in Iraq predicted on Sunday that the United States will make “very substantial reductions” in the number of…

Sunday, March 27, 2005

Al-Qaida Gets One (10:24 PM) - Big news. Al-qaida killed an official in the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior. The AP wire has all the underwhelming detail. In light of all the victories- both political, psychological, and military- stories like these, though sad, just call to…

Mark Cuban Supports Grokster (10:19 PM) - Internet bubble escapee Mark Cuban has reported in his blog that he will help Grokster in its upcoming legal battle with MGM.We are a digital company that is platform agnostic. Bits are bits. We dont care how they are distributed,…

If Atrios Were A Doctor (10:04 PM) - He’d refuse to treat Republicans. Nice. But I agree that this, MDs turning away gay patients, is not right. Forget questions of personal morals or generic viral concerns. Isn’t such refusal a violation of the Hippocratic Oath? MORE: On the…

Oil For Food Update (10:00 PM) - Be sure to keep up to date with Roger L. Simon’s blog, which will have exclusive new information on UNSCAM soon….

This Just In (05:03 PM) - According to LA Times media critic David Shaw, bloggers are fat, lazy, and stupid….

terrorist.google.com (02:23 PM) - Terrorist group Hamas’ newest recruitment tool: Google. Ynetnews is reporting that Hamas is using Google’s Adwords program to direct users to the website of its militant faction, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, when, in Arabic, they search for Hamas, Gaza, Palestine,…

Happy Easter! (08:07 AM) -

Shakeup In Cable News (07:36 AM) - The weird marriage of Microsoft and NBC is losing its third-place slot (below CNN and FNC) to… Headline News. Remarkably, it seems thanks to one talent: Nancy Grace is establishing herself as the “first break-out personality” of CNN Headline News,…

Hitting The Old Dusty Trail (07:27 AM) - Even though executives at some of the world’s most important companies have resigned because of lesser matters, Kofi Annan so far has not indicated that he will step down. This report, though, from The Times, indicates that he is “depressed”…

The Dartmouth Trustee Election (07:20 AM) - Who is driving the debate in the Dartmouth tristee election? This post, from Voices in the Wilderness, makes it clear….

Saturday, March 26, 2005

In Retrospect (04:39 PM) - Everyman, commenting at BitsBlog, advocates a quiet conversation with Michael Schiavo:The solution to this - the way to have avoided it all - is pretty obvious. Someone representing the State of Florida should have had a quiet conversation with Michael,…

Nudist Egyptian Kings (02:35 PM) - Big Pharaoh has converted to ‘Nudadism’ and his school in London is persecuting his nudist beliefs. Much like they persecuted the Muslim girl who wanted to wear a jilbab when the school had a standardized uniform.OK. Let us talk serious…

One Of These Things Is Not Like The Others (12:59 PM) - A momentous victory for democracy and peace is forthcoming as Iraq’s incipient government takes form. How does AP present the news?Official: Iraq Gov’t May Be Formed Soon By EDWARD HARRIS BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - A car bomb struck a U.S….

Clocky, Your Robot Pal (08:28 AM) - Someone at MIT must have been designing a neat space robot for NASA and just muffed it all up. Then turned it into a furry, mobile alarm clock. Introducing Clocky:Clocky is, quite simply, for people who have trouble waking up….

Capitalism Killed The Cavemen (08:17 AM) - A University of Wyoming essay is alleging that. Read the shocking exposé here. (…via The Corner)…

Echelon Redux (08:13 AM) - Concerns about the TSA’s security practices….

Approval Ratings (07:50 AM) - Bush’s approval numbers, measured by Gallup, have dropped. It’s front-page news because it is the lowest rating- 45%- he has ever received. Despite the qualifier “although it is not significantly different from the 46% approval rating he received in May…

Placating India (12:32 AM) - Condoleezza Rice says the US wants India to be a leading power in the 21st century, wagging the dog that is Pakistan’s incipient fleet of F-16s.The United States unveiled plans Friday to help India become a “major world power in…

Get Gerson, They Want A Prime-Time Speech (12:05 AM) - The Washington Post is reporting on the outrage of Indians at President Bush’s reaction to the Minnesota school shooting:MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Native Americans across the country — including tribal leaders, academics and rank-and-file tribe members — voiced anger and frustration…

Friday, March 25, 2005

Nothing Changes Overnight (11:57 PM) - Mass looting in Kyrgyzstan….

Yahoo Calls (11:52 PM) - Yahoo! is upping the storage for its free e-mail accounts to 1000mb to match Gmail- but they still don’t have good enough software to make using their service worthwhile. Meanwhile, why do Dartmouth students still get only 20mb?…

Did They Say The T Word? (11:29 PM) - In the extended, the closest the Associated Press has ever come to calling a spade a spade. ‘US troops are targets of terror. Terror perpetrated by… insurgents.’…

The Filmic Revolution (11:18 PM) - Blockbuster is dropping its bid to acquire rival Hollywood Video for ‘antitrust reasons’. Well, yeah. But why anyone is concerned with the dying gasps of this most bottom feeding of industries I do not know. Let’s get those video rental…

I’m About To Give You All My Money (11:14 PM) - Continuing their fascinating biographical series, Power Line celebrates the birthday of Aretha Franklin in this post. One nit-type pick: why do all accounts of Aretha’s career fail to credit Mr. Jake and Elwood Blues for reviving her career in the…

An Exit Strategy (11:10 PM) - Consider this for a 180. Financial Times is reporting that “Iraq’s insurgents ‘seek exit strategy’” I suspect they have one: ‘die’. Which tends to fail when the other guy’s is ‘win’….

Do What You Wanna Do (08:16 PM) - Just got back from a hearty dinner at a BBQ restaurant. As we were walking to our table, I noticed something of a spectacle. Sitting alone, at a two-person table, was a generously proportioned fellow with his sleeves up, a…

Inside A Corporate Citadel (04:46 PM) - CNBC has an excellent one-hour documentary on Wal-Mart. It is airing now and I’m really enjoying it. David Faber goes inside Wal-Mart and explores [almost] every inch of the company and the supply chain. Check your listings to see when…

I Want One (01:29 PM) - In exchange for their help in the War on Terror, Pakistan is buying some F-16 fighters:CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - President Bush has agreed to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan in a major policy shift rewarding a key ally in…

AP: Report: Kyrgyzstan Leader Denies Resigning (08:54 AM) - MOSCOW (AP) - Kyrgyzstan President Askar Akayev said Friday he is outside the country and denied he had resigned, calling the reports “malicious lies,” the ITAR-Tass news agency reported. Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia. UPDATE: Now the…

Ward Churchill: Con Man (08:49 AM) - Sure, the guy is a grifter of the sleaziest order. Victor Davis Hanson lays down the rules for would-be Churchills:Rule 1: Profess to be as far left as possible, understanding that extremism in the service of utopian virtue is no…

Going Too Far On Schiavo (06:54 AM) - First John Gibson:Just to burnish my reputation as a bomb thrower, I think Jeb Bush should give serious thought to storming the Bastille. By that I mean he should think about telling his cops to go over to Terri Schiavo’s…

“We’ve Got Quilting To Do!” (12:04 AM) - A giant AIDS memorial in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. “Living Memorial,” by Janette Kim and Chloe Town, features a stand of black carbon fiber trees, a charred wood deck and a burned, bark-like walkway that in time will sprout…

Thursday, March 24, 2005

The Roots Run Deep (11:58 PM) - Six companies are being probed for their relationship to Kojo Annan….

Abandoning The 11th Commandment (11:37 PM) - Much has been made (especially from Andrew Sullivan) of some sort of fissure in the Republican party. Abandoning liberty and small government and moving toward zealotry. I tend to think that’s all a ball of hype. There are ups and…

Reign In The Swarm! (11:34 PM) - Charles Johnson shares my reluctance to talk about Terri Schiavo:My opinion is that it’s singularly unwise for the federal government to become involved in what should be a private matter between the families and their doctors. If I seem reluctant…

Everyone’s A Critic (11:27 PM) - Girlfriend does a capella reviews here. She is a little too tough on the Rutgers group Casual Harmony, methinks….

One-Sided Polls (11:12 PM) - I generally agree with this assessment of polls at The Conservative Crust:Give it another twenty years, but eventually, the only meaning for the word poll will be “dubious or specious reasoning.” You’ll come home from work one day, and your…

Incident Averted (10:03 PM) - It is not difficult to imagine how dirty this could have become if Canada didn’t do the right thing.A U.S. Army paratrooper who fled to Canada to avoid serving in Iraq was denied political asylum Thursday, dealing a blow to…

Who Is A ‘Shmen? (06:31 PM) - The 2003 First-Year Survey for Dartmouth is out. This is a questionaire that each incoming student takes. It asks a variety of survey questions. The test is given on college campuses nationwide. Obviously, there have been no major shifts this…

Moving Toward Laissez Faire (06:15 PM) - France, the nation whose tongue sired our guiding economic light laissez faire, is putting its money where its bouche is and is eliminating the 35-hour work week that had Paris’ usual olfactory offenses occupying the cafes as early as 4pm….

Firing Back (06:02 PM) - David French, of FIRE and Tufts Case fame, specifically addresses the issue of free speech at Dartmouth. He debunks the claims of shadowy group Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth:Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth seems to be taking comfort in the…

A Fair Snigger (03:57 PM) - Atrios takes a shot at Bill Frist:From October: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist attacked Sen. John Edwards on Tuesday over a comment the Democratic vice presidential candidate made regarding actor Christopher Reeve. Edwards said Reeve, who died Sunday, “was a…

No Cert (11:29 AM) - AP is reporting that the Schiavo case has come to an end….

Investigating Talkingpointsgate (11:17 AM) - Talkingpointsgate too long? Hmm. My dear senator, famous limousine liberal Frank Lautenberg, is asking for an investigation into who distributed that purported GOP TP memo calling the Schiavo ordeal a great political situation. Though he’s doing it for wholly different…

Call Me Crazy (11:14 AM) - But the wonderful blue line isn’t terribly out of sync with the vile red line….

The Nobel Halo Award (11:06 AM) - Dartblog’s hearty congratulations to Tom Temple, Dartmouth undergrad and grad student at MIT, for being nominated for a Nobel prize. An excerpt from the nominating letter:It is no wonder that faculty at MIT describe Mr. Temple as “the smartest kid…

Fisking The President’s Meals (02:57 AM) - Fresh Politics takes a fresh look at… politics. From a gastrointestinal point of view….

“Describe Your Reasons For Wanting To Take This Class” (02:48 AM) - Voices in the Wilderness looks at oversubscription problems at Dartmouth- which are real- and debunks some of the traditional dismissive arguments….

Crazy Chess Champ Lambs It (02:44 AM) - The international community continues to juggle Bobby Fischer around. Japan has released him and, instead of facing justice in the US, he’s now off to Iceland. He also claims that George Bush kidnapped him. Or something crazy like that….

Much Ado About [Hopefully] Nothing (02:36 AM) - Obtained by my good friend Winfield Myers at The Democracy Project, a draft of the FEC’s new rules on internet-based political activities (i.e. blogging) reveals the basic intent to be rather innocuous….

Army Misses Goal (02:32 AM) - This month will be the second since the year 2000 that the US Army has failed to meet its recruiting goals. It will be interesting to look at the media’s role in recruiting levels over time….

For Strength Or Stolidity? (02:27 AM) - Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth, the shadowy organization whose connections to Dartmouth have been noted by Nat Ward and Michael Ellis, has posted rebuttals of the arguments of the two petition candidates, Peter Robinson ‘79 and Todd Zywicki ‘88; candidates…

Headache (02:24 AM) - Server transition is proceeding with the usual hiccups. Posting will be light later today, but hopefully the changeover will be able to take place late tonight….

Wednesday, March 23, 2005

The Firefox Threat (07:58 PM) - Point-n-Click reports that Microsoft’s new spyware removal tool (which has actually worked well for me so far) considers Firefox “a very high risk threat and should be removed immediately as to prevent harm to your computer or your privacy.” Sheesh….

New Digs (03:09 PM) - Dartblog is moving to new servers, so some general weirdness should be expected over the next several days….

Reality-Based Actuaries (12:17 PM) - The Social Security Trustees’ report is out and it has revised the year of insolvency to be 2041. It was previously 2042. Atrios thinks they pulled “nonsense” to get that number, but I fail to see what motivations these actuaries…

A Heavy Blow (12:13 PM) - Ignore the Associated Press’ defeatist pocks and read this report of one of many crushing swings at the remaining terrorists in Iraq:BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - U.S. and Iraqi forces raided a suspected guerrilla training camp and killed 85 fighters, the…

More On ‘The Ring Two’ (11:21 AM) - Jeff Harrell didn’t like it at all. Dear Lord Almighty in Heaven, did I just read that you thought “The Ring Two” wasn’t “half bad?” I can only hope and pray that you thought it was ALL bad. Seriously, I’m…

Doctor Dean Diagnoses The GOP (09:31 AM) - “Brain dead”, sayeth Dean. We are all brain dead. Well, I told you so. Dean is still the radical who thinks his party is too conservative. He still writes off the entire opposition. Two very dumb things for a leader…

When Governments Collapse (09:29 AM) - Eugene Volokh:”The Government Has Collapsed” can have very different meanings. The goal of many emerging parliamentary democracies, I think, is for citizens to be able to say “The government has collapsed. Now, which movie do you want to go see…

Mystery Memo (09:11 AM) - Power Line is on the case of the Schiavo memo which ostensibly went out to GOP lawmakers and told them that the Schiavo issue was a good one for them and that religious voters would like their involvement. There are…

The Common Man Myth (01:38 AM) - Democracy Project has more on the trustfund class- and its overwhelming liberal sensibilities. This is one of those stories that survey data cannot really tell. But it is proven anecdotally in the knowing smirks of perambulating conservatives everywhere. A stroll…

Must See TV (01:29 AM) - What do extremist left-wingers act like at work? Specifically, at Air America “radio”? HBO will tell all on March 31….

Even More UNScam (01:21 AM) - Roger L. Simon notes two new problems for korrupt Kofi’s son, Kojo….

We Can Handle High Oil Prices… (01:19 AM) - But some see light and sweet trending downward….

Meta Corruption (01:16 AM) - UNScam keeps getting worse. It was revealed today that money harvested from Hussein under the Iraq Oil-for-Food program went to pay Benon Sevon’s legal bills! Sevon, recall, was the administrator of that program. He is accused of many wrongdoings, but…

Rethinking Capital Punishment (01:10 AM) - A new poll shows that Catholics are wavering on support for the death penalty, and Rick Santorum is re-examining his own view. I hope that one day, governments in America will not be allowed to kill their constituents. I also…

John McCain Does Something (01:08 AM) - Perhaps searching for a pet cause to champion when campaign finance reform falls flat, John McCain ‘spoke truth to power’, as they say, at a Social Security reform rally today.”Some of our friends, who are opposing this idea, say, ‘Oh,…

Iraqs Kill Terrorists (01:04 AM) - Who are the insurgents, now?BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Shopkeepers and residents on one of Baghdad’s main streets pulled out their own guns Tuesday and killed three insurgents when hooded men began shooting at passers-by, giving a rare victory to civilians…

Just Saw The Ring 2 (01:02 AM) - Not half bad. Enjoyed Naomi Watts….

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Eastern West Point (04:40 PM) - Afghanistan has opened the doors of its first military academy, based on the West Point Academy.KABUL (Reuters) - Mentored by advisers from the prestigious U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Afghanistan opened its own cadet school on Tuesday to groom…

Rich, Fat, Elite Liberals (04:18 PM) - Patrick Ruffini picks up on a fact that is very well hidden from the average citizen. The rich, powerful, private school trustfunders aren’t Republicans. It’s almost funny to me, as I walk around Dartmouth. From so many angles, the Democrat…

Google “News” (04:15 PM) - Jeff Jarvis collects questionable Google News sources….

Syria Out? (04:10 PM) - Kofi Annan is saying that, pursuant to private talks with Syrian leadership, that country will completely withdraw its presence in Lebanon. This is good news, if anything comes of it….

Sex Doesn’t Sell? (04:03 PM) - CNN reports that sex doesn’t sell in movies. Darn neocons….

Wonkette’s Assets (01:51 PM) - Some speculation about Ana Marie Cox over at Wizbang’s comments. As for her jokes that bombed at the Brookings discussion today, she needn’t worry. I actually thought some were funny….

More SocSec Polling (12:02 PM) - Ken Mehlman is circulating a memo that has poll numbers in support of private accounts- but admittedly through broad questions. See a portion of the memo here….

In This Corner, Vicente Fox (11:31 AM) - James Gilchrist, co-founder of the Minuteman Project, was on Lou Dobbs last night. He debated Mexican president Fox. Trey Jackson has the video….

Classical Music On The iPod (10:36 AM) - Tom Bozzo notes the tribulations inherent in building an iPod-based classical music collection. I have run into these myself and ended up scrapping the whole endeavor. I am an audio purist, you see. While some might take ‘purist’ to mean…

UNReform (10:25 AM) - Kalb is not impressed with Kofi Annan’s reformation proposals:I remember during the Cold War, they were fond of spinning away the Soviets’ behavior as coming out of a fundamental sense of insecurity, and it seems like they’d be making pronouncements…

Les Vaches Espanols (10:20 AM) - Everyman looks at the ‘letters’ section of Le Monde and finds supreme confirmation of his sentiment on the French….

Of Calories and Retirement Accounts (10:15 AM) - Jon Shea at The Hanover Collaboration looks at the SocSec reform poll I posted last week:I haven’t made up my mind on social security privatization yet. Regardless, everyone agrees the system needs reform. And everyone agrees that privitization alone doesn’t…

Police Academy (01:41 AM) - Incredibly strange, indeed….

So Close (01:30 AM) - ConservaDiva fell victim to the Daily News’ lottery foible: “There are a lot of *very* angry New Yorkers out there tonight. And as we are already probably the angriest state in the country, that is not good.”…

Philly Crime Wave (01:15 AM) - KYW reports that there is a homocide streak in the City of Brotherly Love right now. One proposed solution: tougher gun laws. Different River has insight into the obvious results should this policy be adopted:Gang member #1: OK, your job…

Clear Channel Off Hook (01:02 AM) - Entertainment giant Clear Channel has gotten off on charges that it abused its monopoly power in the promotion of a motorcycle event. It was ordered to pay a paltry $90m to rival Jam Productions Ltd., but no violation of anti-trust…

ACLU: Officially Defending Criminals (12:45 AM) - The American Civil Liberties Union, bearer of the ultimate misnomer, is set to file suit against the Minuteman Project. The Minuteman Project is a somewhat ad-hoc group of American citizens who live close to the US-Mexico border. They are not…

Brawny Broads And Title IX (12:36 AM) - The mildly offensive connotation in the title is wholly warranted when I see news like this, from the “National Women’s Law Center”:(Washington, DC) – New guidance released Friday by the Department of Education makes it easy for schools to escape…

Monday, March 21, 2005

Moussaoui Goes To Court (05:47 PM) - French citizen, al Qaeda member, and 9/11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui has had his appeal rejected by SCOTUS, and the path is now clear for the animal to stand trial.The high court ruling paves the way for Moussaoui to stand trial….

My Dear Senator (05:44 PM) - In a conference call with reporters Monday, Sen. John Corzine, D-NJ, one of the leading opponents of the president’s plan, said Cheney had “a virtual career of disdain for Social Security,” and compared his appearances to sending Saddam Hussein to…

In Praise Of Lifesavers (04:40 PM) - I greatly enjoy Lifesavers candy. No, not the classic five-flavor roll of hard colorful rings. The Wint-O-Green Lifesaver mints are what I fancy. Few people know the real story behind Lifesavers. That rainbow of flavors wasn’t how it all began….

Scarebus Update (04:23 PM) - An emergency warning has gone out about Airbus rudders. (…via Instapundit)…

“The Silence Is Deafening” (03:49 PM) - If you are a downtrodden left-of-center journalist, and the anniversary of the second Iraq War is coming up, and you’ve just got to make a splash, what do you do? You claim that Americans don’t care about the troops and…

College Blogging (03:20 PM) - Todd Zywicki is finding the blogosphere to be an excellent tool in keeping up with his alma mater, Dartmouth.At Dartmouth at least, the blogosphere seems to be supplementing the traditional student lounge “bull session” as the place for exchanging ideas,…

Good News (10:04 AM) - Chief Justice Rehnquist is reportedly feeling well enough to return to the bench….

Selling Trust For A Scoop (09:21 AM) - The next time it is said that newspapers writ large are factually superior to the blogosphere, reference this and this. Washington Post reported the following Britney Spears quote as fact: “Like omigod, I have to tell the maid to buy…

Everything Is Eyes Only (02:12 AM) - FoxNews has an exclusive report on the government’s steps toward classifying 15 million documents for national security reasons. Politicians on both sides of the aisle seem to be against this move. I would tend to agree, especially considering that anything…

Zarqawi Symbolically Convicted (02:03 AM) - Jordan has sentenced Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to 15 years in jail.AMMAN, Jordan (Reuters) - Jordan’s state security court sentenced al Qaeda ally Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in absentia to 15 years in jail and another Jordanian militant to three years on…

Chalk Up Another Sire Of Victory (01:29 AM) - In the New York Times later this morning: “There Are Signs the Tide May Be Turning on Iraq’s Street of Fear”…

The Dems’ Weak Push (01:26 AM) - My personal politics aside, I think Paul’s take on the Democrat showing in Congress this evening is right on:So for all their posturing and complaining, the leadership only got 53 of their fellow Democrats to vote for Terry Schiavo’s death…

Her Party, Too (01:16 AM) - Christine Todd Whitman is on Bill Maher’s show right now, along with Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), and Jason Alexander (George-NBC). All three are doing a decent job shouting down Maher’s quasi-socialist screams. At one point, Maher was railing against America’s greed….

Blogosphere Rising (01:07 AM) - Latest net doings writ large: IAC buys AskJeeves, third-tier search engine, for $1.9 billion. Meanwhile, Blogspot, we discover, generates more traffic than nytimes.com. Chinese students, long suffering under Communist bans on online communication, protest BBS censorship. Yahoo buys photo-hoster Flickr….

Sunday, March 20, 2005

What Is It About Law Profs? (06:09 PM) - Alan Dershowitz, who has an interest in academic free speech and has praised the work of FIRE, is offering some sobering words to the Associated Press:Some Summers supporters contend his support runs deeper at those [grad] schools, where the ivory…

Google News (05:26 PM) - Google’s News website is not a perfect program, but it is quite useful for finding headlines that don’t appear elsewhere and for finding republished news articles when “free registration” (read: opt-in spam) prevents me from seeing something. Like most Google…

Sweeping Away The Malfeasance (02:20 PM) - Kofi Annan has some sweeping changes in mind for his midtown empire. According to an AP report, he is going to “propose restructuring a U.N. human rights panel, ask for a swift decision to expand the Security Council and request…

Just Ask: ‘Retire Via Sam or Self?’ (01:09 PM) - I never got around to responding to Tom Bozzo’s rebuttal of this poll, which, among other things, showed that 58% of Americans 55+ think “it is a good idea or a bad idea to allow people to put money into…

More Wordsmithing (01:00 PM) - Brilliant verbiage from the WaPo:WASHINGTON — Republican leaders believe their attention to the Terri Schiavo issue could pay dividends with Christian conservatives whose support they covet in the 2006 midterm elections, according to a GOP memo intended to be seen…

Husayn On The War’s Anniversary (12:52 PM) - “It has been now two years since the United States, UK and other countries invaded our nation. It has been two years since Iraqis have had to live with daily violent attacks and rampant terrorism. It has been two years…

Reuters Wordsmithing (12:22 PM) - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush cut short a vacation to return to Washington and be ready to sign a bill that may keep a brain-damaged woman alive, in a case pitting Christian conservatives against right-to-die activists. It is troubling, but…

Why Work? (10:45 AM) - One of those ‘reality-based weblogs’ wonders “What’s so great about the work ethic?” We are the richest country in the world, Mark Kleiman argues, so why do we still work harder than anyone else? Though the United States is the…

Anti-Anti-War (10:34 AM) - Roger L. Simon believes that the national anti-war movement, presumably both in deed and creed, is in decline….

Congressional Intervention For Schiavo (10:28 AM) - At least DeLay recognizes that this is an “extraordinary session”….

GOP: Bloggers Are Journalists (10:25 AM) - After the FEC dust-up, it is nice to hear this bit of news:On The Media reported in an interview with GOP Senator John Cornyn that bloggers, just like mainstream journalists, would have fees waived under the new Faster FOIA (Freedom…

Act Quickly To Permit Lawbreaking (10:12 AM) - Mexican President Vicente Fox is urging President Bush to stop efforts to enforce immigration laws:MEXICO CITY - Anti-immigrant sentiment appears to be growing in the United States, Mexican President Vicente Fox said Wednesday, and he urged U.S. officials to act…

The Coq au Vin Was Good. (01:00 AM) - Just got back in (1a) from a night in the City. Torrential clip resumes much later this morning….

Saturday, March 19, 2005

Advocating Good Reportage? (01:06 PM) - PunditGuy reports that Websense, an internet filtering application, blocks access to foxnews.com if ‘advocacy groups’ are set to be blocked. CNN, MSNBC, CBS News, and ABC News are not blocked….

What Is Spring? (10:20 AM) - Scientists explain ‘Spring’ here.The long, cold, snow-laden winter of 2004-05 officially comes to its much-anticipated end at 7:33 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on Sunday, March 20th (12:33 p.m. Greenwich Mean Time that same day). At least that’s what astronomers say…

Light Dims On Assad (10:02 AM) - Here we go again? I hope not….

Elsewhere In The Academy (09:56 AM) - As I have said, it is often the case at college that the mere accusation of ‘offense’ is a condemnation. Moonbat Central has another case, this time at University of Haifa….

Life-Loving Feminism (09:51 AM) - Many people (too many to link in reference!) have wondered why the feminist lobby has not come out in support of Terri Schiavo’s parents, who want her to remain alive. Well, this feminist has….

Yale Trustee Election (09:41 AM) - Don’t worry… I’m not going to take up another trustee election at a school I have nothing to do with! But, this comparison offered by VitW between the Dartmouth and Yale elections was interesting. Dartmouth isn’t the only school where…

Value-Added News (09:33 AM) - The AP is going to be providing two different versions of every story. Read this post on LGF. And read the examples at the end. Oh, my….

Overnight Infirmary (09:27 AM) - Out Vox: In a March 16th article noting the decline in college-sponsored healthcare, “An Overnight Infirmary Is a Campus Luxury,” Dartmouth was singled out as one of the few schools that still maintains on-campus beds for sick students. Our very…

The Retiree’s Dilemma (09:18 AM) - The New Republic advises us to use game theory to negotiate SocSec reform with Democrats….

When All Else Fails, Hate The System? (09:12 AM) - David Brooks in NYT: “The combination of the looming fiscal crisis and the increasing polarization of the political class paints a grim future for politics in this country.”…

Friday, March 18, 2005

What Does The Public Think Of Private Accounts? (06:03 PM) - Tom Bozzo continues the discussion here, arguing that this poll isn’t a fair assessment. I am on my way out, so read his rebuttal. I’ll write more later….

Admitting To The Wrong Mistake (05:31 PM) - The head of Atlanta’s police department, Chief Richard Pennington, is admitting to several mistakes in preventing/stopping the Brian Nichols rampage. Not surprisingly, putting the criminal under the guard of a woman (from whom Nichols nabbed a sidearm) was not among…

The Life Of The Mind (05:23 PM) - Tangentially related to the Dartmouth Trustee elections, see this post on “Why Academia Shuns Republicans” from the Weekend Pundit:Intellectuals of the academic persuasion truly believe that they have been blessed with the best way to achieve Nirvana. Since they are…

Revisionist History And Election Violations (04:30 PM) - I am highly disappointed and displeased with the conduct of the Dartmouth administration during this trustee election. I have previously rounded up rule-breaking (and there is another instance here) but the latest move is beyond the pale. Candidate Peter Robinson…

Eat at Joe’s (03:28 PM) - Condoleezza Rice is trying to get Japan to end its ridiculous boycott on American beef, which, unlike meat from Canadian steers, has never escaped the screening process with mad cow disease. TOKYO (AP) - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is…

Advice For Protestors (03:12 PM) - At Glenn Reynolds’ local mall, protestors will mark the anniversary of the Second Iraq War with the usual harangues. Reynolds offers another idea:Sackcloth, ashes, and signs reading: WE WERE WRONG, SORRY WE TRIED TO BLOCK ARAB DEMOCRACY, and WRONG ABOUT…

Poolers Lack Wit, Insider Cant (11:06 AM) - Perhaps due to the WSJ’s ruination-of-fun article, this report from a White House pooler is dry and unmocking. Bit of news: Barbara Bush is going to be pushing SocSec Modernization for her son….

Nostalgia For The Taliban (10:34 AM) - There is some crime in Afghanistan (and opium, too!) so the Washington Post kindly informs us that everyone there is pining for the days of the Taliban: “Afghan Crime Wave Breeds Nostalgia for Taliban”…

Hating Wolfowitz (10:18 AM) - Roger L. Simon points out that bigotry is one reason that Europe is so displeased with Paul Wolfowitz’s recent ascendence….

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Diversity of Thought Update (11:19 PM) - Another victory for Individual Rights in Education. Congrats to Horowitz, et al….

Exempt Bloggers (11:01 PM) - It is purely common sense that private individual citizens- whether they communicate over a blog or over the telephone- ought not be regulated by campaign finance laws. The Dems in the Senate are working on an amendment to FEC laws…

Bush on Schiavo (10:44 PM) - The Oval Office has broken silence on the Schiavo case. The case of Terri Schiavo raises complex issues. Yet in instances like this one, where there are serious questions and substantial doubts, our society, our laws, and our courts should…

Old To Us: Insurgents Weakened (10:31 PM) - Reuters is stunned to learn that the terrorists are losing in Iraq:AMMAN (Reuters) - The U.S. armed forces’ senior commander said on Thursday insurgents were becoming less effective, with attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq falling to last year’s levels…

Just A Thought (10:20 PM) - Ann Coulter has had a ‘eureka’ moment:I think I have an idea that would save money and lives: Have large men escort violent criminals. Admittedly, this approach would risk another wave of nausea and vomiting by female professors at Harvard….

CNN’s Downward Slide (08:47 PM) - It continues, as Court TV beat both the Clinton News Network and MSNBC for the courtroom action that took place this past Wednesday. Fox remained at top….

“Disloyal Dem” or Free Thinker? (08:43 PM) - For the party that adopts diversity, discussion, and compromise as basic tenets, you’d think that people like Kos wouldn’t be calling Joe Lieberman “disloyal” or that he has “no excuse” for not standing beside Harry Reid as he laments the…

Gonna Have Myself A Time (08:39 PM) - Always-trusty South Park jabbed Ward Churchill last night. I missed the episode, but I’ll see it sometime soon. UPDATE: Huzzah! TiVo kept a recording of it. I’ll watch tonight. UPDATE 2: Very very clever. And, sadly, accurate in many ways….

Business School Hacking Update (04:42 PM) - Tuck has done the right thing, and will not automatically reject “hackers”. Jon Shea lambasts the sloppy code that created this problem:The hack in question involved logging-in to the school’s applicant website, and manually changing the URL at the top…

Success Watch (04:32 PM) - The next wave in of Army personnel will be smaller than the number of troops cycled out, as this AP report confirms….

Progress In Iraq’s Constitutional Convention (04:28 PM) - Echoes of Philadelphia abound as Iraq’s factions come together to build a government. The going was rough over the past few days, but now progress is being reported.BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Shiite and Kurdish officials reported progress Thursday in resolving…

On News Of Possible ANWR Drilling (03:44 PM) - Democrat Undergrounders are not taking the news well. Read the extended for some excerpts….

Expanding Blog-Horizons (02:03 PM) - There have been a few additions to the blogroll of late. They are: The Hanover Conspiracy - a funny blog from a handful of grad students about technology and current events. Dartmouth Observer - long overdue to be blogrolled, this…

Financing Terrorists (01:58 PM) - LGF has the story of the latest paycheck for terrorists. Australian Associated Press reports:An Iraqi-born Spanish businessman kidnapped in Baghdad several weeks ago has been freed after a ransom was paid, Spain’s leading daily reported. El Pais reported that the…

There Can Be No Debate (12:55 PM) - About how much better The Next Generation is than any other Star Trek incarnation. There just is no comparison….

Williams Shows Some Restraint (12:00 PM) - Was I wrong about Brian Williams, NBC’s new anchor? USA Today reports:Brian Williams says that he didn’t allow a graphic sexual description from the [Michael Jackson] trial on his newscast this week. Viewers “can read the m-word in their morning…

Dartmouth Trustee Election Update (11:03 AM) - Peter Robinson’s e-mail went out. If, like Mr. Zywicki’s e-mail, it was only spottily received, I have republished it below….

Criticism of SocSec Poll (10:30 AM) - Tom Bozzo e-mails in with some criticism of this Social Security poll that I posted yesterday.I also saw your mention of the CoMPASS poll on Social Security. Obviously, I’m playing on the other team, but nevertheless I’ll just offer my…

Turning Tides (10:21 AM) - Strategy Page and an Instapundit correspondent report that Iraqi sensibilities have shifted in a major way against violence. I walk away from these two accounts thinking that further MSM reports I read of “a bloody day in Iraq” are not…

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Applying Old Thinking To New Media (08:35 PM) - Jeff Jarvis rips Professor Juan Cole apart, apropos the ‘there are too many white male bloggers’ non-issue. Here is what the good professor said:Jeff Jarvis, the Republican in Democrat Clothing, replies that there is nothing wrong with being a white…

New Social Security Numbers (06:57 PM) - This poll conducted by Ayres, McHenry and Associates for a pro-reform thinktank is very good news for the President and proponents of Social Security modernization. I will go through it and post some numbers in a bit. Very interesting data….

About Those Fox Anchors (03:34 PM) - FoxNews’ latest hire is Julie Banderas. And she has quite a history. UPDATE: And TVNewser gives us a preview of Fox’s upcoming renegotiations for carriage with cable operators. And it looks like Fox, by all accounts the rocket man of…

Breaking News (03:18 PM) - Stunningly, Hezbollah will not lay down its weapons. The rationale from Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah was a brilliant thread of logic: “I’m holding on to the weapons of the resistance because I think the resistance … is the best formula to…

Taking Our Own Black Gold (03:12 PM) - As oil prices hit a record high (President Bush’s fault, no doubt) the Senate has taken the necessary move to begin drilling for oil in Alaska.The Senate, by a 51-49 vote, rejected an attempt by Democrats and GOP moderates to…

Scott Peterson (03:07 PM) - Sentenced to death….

NJ SecState and Political Correctness (12:04 PM) - New Jersey’s Secretary of State is charged with “the promotion and preservation of the arts, history, and culture” of New Jersey. The current SoS is Regena L. Thomas, appointed by McGreevey. Her political experience includes serving on Jesse Jackson’s two…

But What Of My Mail? (08:28 AM) - Harry Reid is setting the dial to 11, as he stood on the Capitol steps yesterday and intoned of his willingness to shut down the government. Fortunately, services for “troops” and “critical government services” will be kept open when Reid’s…

Prospects For Protecting Marriage (08:20 AM) - Eugene Volokh thinks an appeal will be successful:Given my sense of the California Supreme Court’s moderately conservative (generally speaking) jurisprudential philosophy, I think the court is likely to hold that the opposite-sex-only requirement is indeed constitutional. Presumably the lower court…

Not Elitist (08:09 AM) - Readers of blogs are elite….

Many Bothan Spies Died To Bring Us… (07:56 AM) - This information. Apple will soon be coming out with a two-button mouse, catching up to the rest of civilization a decade or two late. Now that you know the gossip, you may want to hit the tip jar of whoever…

Behind Summers (07:55 AM) - Luboš Motl rounds up pro-Larry Summers articles here….

Scarebus Rehashed (07:46 AM) - I am no fan of Airbus. Neither is Eric Florack, evidently, as he debunks several myths about the Flight 961 crash. Among the facts I did not know: the incident stemmed from what seems to be a known defect in…

Tuesday, March 15, 2005

Rabble Rousing Spam (10:31 PM) - Hey, Power Line got an e-mail from Howard Dean! And he’s nuts….

Correcting the Record (10:24 PM) - Two days ago, I “slammed”, as the parlance goes, WaPo editor Philip Bennett for comments he made in an interview with the People’s Daily of China. Though I think my general sense of Bennett’s leanings remains accurate, the state-run paper…

Harvard Update (10:16 PM) - Larry Summers: Rove-esque? He just may be in that upper echelon of evil genius, as faculty proclaim their non-confidence in him….

Going Soft On Hezbollah (06:20 PM) - Even Chuck Schumer is saying, “Hezbollah has the blood of Americans on its hands and it is awfully difficult to forgive them so quickly, especially when they have not denounced terrorism.” One wonders why the administration is dulling the blade,…

Comment Sourire (06:18 PM) - Is President Bush getting his smiling lessons from Dick Morris?…

Tuesday Diversion (05:13 PM) - Tuesdays aren’t for diversions, no. But I’m on break and thus: this. A treasure trove of crude, but amusing, Flash animations. Via Jesse Roisin. UPDATE: This is brilliant….

A Victory For Terror (02:59 PM) - In parallel with Spain’s election of a socialist directly following the train attack, Italy’s decision today to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq in September- if in connection with the Sgrena incident- ought to be seen as a cowardly act and…

Bankruptcy Reform (02:39 PM) - In National Review today, Todd Zywicki writes in support of the bankruptcy reform bill.I can’t see any reason why I or anyone else should have to pay higher interest rates or get worse service at the doctor’s office in order…

Guts. (10:40 AM) - A Lebanese man raising his country’s flag over the Syrian Intelligence headquarters in Beirut. [Link]…

Aesthetics of Protest (10:31 AM) - Wizbang ably points out that the novice protesters in Lebanon are outshining American liberals- who have been waxing indignant for centuries….

Lowering Standards (10:10 AM) - The word “wedgie” has just been added to the Webster dictionary….

The Art Of Staying Within One’s Element (07:32 AM) - I was all set to write about Warren Beatty’s advice to Arnold Schwarzenegger on economic policy: “tax the rich.” Then, via Jackson’s Junction, I saw that Arnold had the perfect response himself: “If he promises me not to give me…

Democracy Update (07:20 AM) - Carl has a good ‘Democracy Update’ on the happenings in Lebanon. Best piece of news: The opposition has already locked up the ‘babe vote’….

Berlusconi Abides; Sgrena Weeps (07:05 AM) - O! To be Communist reporter Giuliana Sgrena. Her machinations have wrought little in Iraq, her assertions continue to be questioned by her own people as well as Americans. And her sob story, metamorphosed now into anger and conspiratorial rage, have…

Iran Displeased (01:37 AM) - AP is reporting that Iran, which is skirting the United States by giving proposals only to three European nations, is “displeased” with nuclear talks. It may soon “walk away from the discussions”. Few should be surprised that Iran is shirking…

A Self-Fulfilling Prophesy (01:24 AM) - The Washington Post is leading today with a piece from Jonathan Weisman, “Skepticism of Social Security Plan Growing”. Sheesh. Where is the administration on this? Eventually, this constant reinforcement will be irreversible, and it will be that much harder to…

Clinton Out (01:12 AM) - Former President Bill Clinton has left the hospital. Let’s hope he gets better soon; I’m sure Bush Sr. is getting bored!…

Fox Gets McAwful (12:46 AM) - I always lament that Alan Colmes is one of the few liberals I can cite in defense of Fox News’ self-described balance. He isn’t exactly the talking-head exemplar for the left. Drudge is flashing now that Terry McAuliffe is set…

The Power-Hungry Union (12:30 AM) - I learn via Kalblog that the United Auto Workers Union is stopping “Marines who drive foreign cars and/or display pro-Bush stickers on said cars” from parking in lots that they own. John:The fact is, employees in non-union plants don’t make…

Monday, March 14, 2005

Judge Authors Law (11:52 PM) - For a citizen body that doesn’t appreciate unilateralism in government, San Franciscans are awfully tolerant of ceding their constitutionally-given law-writing power to individual judges. LATimes is reporting that a judge in San Francisco has made a decision that will be…

Well, Look At That (11:32 PM) - First post from Jersey and it’s 30 minutes ahead of schedule….

Planes, Trains, And Automobiles (02:04 PM) - I’m off for the Garden State. Back blogging around midnight….

The Atlantic On Working Females (01:33 PM) - Julia Bernstein links to this Atlantic piece which re-makes the famous point that “smart” females (smart doesn’t really mean smart, in this context, of course) are less likely to attract men, thus denying them the coveted career/family dichotomy. Says Julia,…

“The Mother Of All Protests” (12:58 PM) - A nice photo montage of the protests in Lebanon at The Corner. “The Truth.” UPDATE: Great coverage at Publius. Perhaps Lebanon’s own Federalist Papers aren’t that far off….

A Capella Blogging (12:12 PM) - My girlfriend is doing reviews of college a capella music over here. [Aw!] Needless to say, she rates the Dartmouth Aires favorably….

Columbia J-School: Media Harder On Bush (11:58 AM) - Columbia J-School’s annual report on the media says that the media was three times harder on Bush during 2004 election coverage than they were on Kerry. Reuters has a bit more….

The New York Times (11:31 AM) - It is probably the only newspaper that could actually print an article about how the French are better at hating Americans than Americans are at hating the French….

Huge Anti-Syria Protests In Lebanon (08:31 AM) - Reuters:BEIRUT (Reuters) - Hundreds of thousands of people have rallied in central Beirut in the largest anti-Syrian protest in Lebanon since the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri exactly a month ago. Flag-waving crowds from across Lebanon gathered in…

Checking Up On The USA PATRIOT Act (08:23 AM) - Orin Kerr at Volokh reminds us that the USA PATRIOT act still has not been abused. Or at least, no abuses are known to the Department of Justice, which, among its other jobs, pools civil rights abuses and sees if…

We Get Mail (06:53 AM) - An e-mailer knew WaPo chief Phil Bennett in high school! He writes in response to this post.I must acknowledge his inteligence and his ability to play his cards right, but he is the epitome of the… snobbishness that now personifies…

Sunday, March 13, 2005

A Demain (10:31 PM) - Tomorrow I have a game theory final exam and then I’ll likely be heading back down to New Jersey. Blogging may be light, if that is the case. Amtrak still doesn’t have internet access on its regional trains! On a…

Classical for Reading (10:04 PM) - A quick pick for Ann Althouse, who’d like some reading music to populate the RAM in her new iPod Shuffle. Why not give Dvořák a try? His dances and the Sonatina in G are delightful little works. Here is the…

“A 30-year detour.” (09:35 PM) - Lesley Stahl makes herself useful and has a sit down with George Lucas….

More Press Silliness (09:08 PM) - Have you ever had a sit-down and wondered, “Gee, what does Washington Post editor Philip Bennett think of his homeland?” If you were previously unable to infer his anti-American sympathies from his paper’s work, you are in luck. The People’s…

Shameless Sgrena (06:50 PM) - Giuliana Sgrena is a reprehensible cur whose distorted “truth” continues to bend and twist to the tune of her Communist friends in Italy. Her latest bit of anti-American propaganda :”We were in an area monitored by American troops, close to…

The Contrarian Press (06:47 PM) - The moment the Bush administration warns that al-Qaeda may be preparing for another attack, AP reports on how well we’ve disabled the terrorists. Power Line is right: Next maybe the Bush administration can issue a warning about a possible economic…

Even McGreevey Can Support It (03:03 PM) - Paul argues that the gay community should embrace Social Security personal accounts.Personal accounts are so obviously in the financial interests of gay and lesbian Americans, who get massively ripped-off by Social Security when their partners die, that only one thing…

So Early, It’s Meaningless (02:52 PM) - Tim Russert went on one of his please-make-news-on-my-show quests this morning, this time with Condoleezza Rice. Ann Althouse has the transcript, and it seems that Ms. Rice will not run for President in 2008. But of course, as we all…

Of Comments and Terrorists (01:42 PM) - Christopher Bateman e-mails in:Why don’t you allow comments on your blog? I’ve frequently wanted to point out problems with your posts, such as assuming that the two men killed in the US Afghani prison were terrorists: what’s your source for…

Sunday Diversion (09:11 AM) - Play the classic helicopter game here. Best part: you can play this one on a notebook computer….

Abuse In US-Run Afghan Prisons (08:45 AM) - This AP report, which is going to get a lot of attention over the next few days, details alleged abuse in Bagram, our main detention center in Afghanistan. These are the first reports that describe what I consider to be…

Inquiring Minds Want To Know (08:33 AM) - This AP poll that USA Today is touting strikes me as obvious and the results somewhat static. The headline is, “7 out of 10 Worried About Government Secrecy.” Well, yes. That strikes me as an entirely appropriate number and one…

Dead by Ants (08:27 AM) - Dying by ant bites is probably one of the worst ways to go, and also one of the easiest to prevent- particularly in a nursing home. So I think this family is fully entitled to the $2m they just won…

Incoming Political TV Spots (08:20 AM) - A war of Social Security TV spots may be on its way. AP reports:President Bush and Democrats took their differences over Social Security to the airwaves on Saturday, with Bush complaining about “scare ads” against his plan and Democrats denouncing…

Saturday, March 12, 2005

Classical Pick (07:19 PM) - I highly recommend this recording series of Brahms’ symphonies from Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. To my eyes, Brahms’ symphonies have always been undervalued. Mackerras’ exciting accounts may help remedy this, and the always-wonderful sound quality from Telarc astounds….

Another Success For Blogs (07:15 PM) - In a few weeks, I will have a piece in The Dartmouth Beacon titled, “Why Blogs Matter.” I see one more example at this blog, where the author got German magazine Stern to stop saying that Americans “murdered” the Italian…

Indoctrination Tactics (06:49 PM) - At U.C. Irvine, the increasingly powerful anti-Semitic factions are trying a new line: “Zionism is a mixture, a fusion of the concept of white supremacy and the chosen people.” LGF has the report, and I shudder to think of just…

A Guide To National Media (06:47 PM) - This, from OxBlog, seems quite right: 1. The Wall Street Journal is read by the people who run the country. 2. The Washington Post is read by people who think they run the country. 3. The New York Times is…

Get Rid of Slimy Girls (06:42 PM) - All of the adventures of Calvin and Hobbes are coming to a single compendium. Amazon has a pre-order set up here. It is pretty expensive, at $94.50, but C+H just might be worth it….

“They’d Go For bin Laden” (06:38 PM) - Dartmouth Professor Emeritus of English Jeffrey Hart pens this letter to The Dartmouth Review, where he concludes, “In fact, many Arab nations, if given a popular vote, would go for bin Laden. Certainly, Saudi Arabia would go for Osama.”…

If You Give Them An Inch (09:08 AM) - Evidently, every single concession we made in joining the EU’s diplomatic adventure was just a given for Iran:March 12 (Bloomberg) — Iran played down the significance of trade incentives offered by the European Union and the U.S., saying they won’t…

A Blogospheric Investigation (08:55 AM) - As discussed earlier, Dartmouth trustee candidate Todd Zywicki, like the other candidates, was permitted to send two e-mails to alums. I republished his letter in that earlier post, as well as the alum council’s refusal to send it out (for…

The New SAT (08:43 AM) - What has it wrought? MSNBC reports:The newest preparation technique, geared for the iPod generation, is subliminal vocabulary. Put on some headphones and listen to a lyric filled with words likely to appear on the SAT. “Flagrantly elated / can’t dissuade…

Hamas In The Running (08:36 AM) - The terrorist group Hamas will be taking part in Palestine’s parliamentary election this July. No one said it would be easy….

A Countdown For Syria (08:17 AM) - JEDEIDET YABOUS, Syria (AP) - President Bashar Assad reiterated his commitment to withdrawing all Syrian troops and intelligence agents from Lebanon, a U.N. envoy said Saturday, indicating that he had received a timetable for the pullout… U.N. envoy Terje Roed-Larsen…

Blogging Update (07:10 AM) - I have an exam today, so light blogging……

I Can’t Believe… (12:03 AM) - …That this guy is still loose. UPDATE: Jonah Goldberg is thinking death penalty….

Friday, March 11, 2005

Budget Cuts: Farms vs. Food (11:33 PM) - Something of a vicious cycle, no? But President Bush, who has long advocated cutting farm subsidies as an arrow in his debt-reduction quiver, is running into trouble with hand-bound GOP legislators. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee,…

A Substantive Case (09:15 PM) - Timothy Waligore at Free Dartmouth asks, “So is anyone going to make a substantive case for the petitioner candidates?” Yes, someone will. See the two petition candidates give fantastic sells via web video. Peter Robinson is here and Todd Zywicki…

More Rule-Bending In Trustee Election (06:43 PM) - Voices in the Wilderness has it:A Dartmouth professor of religion and women’s studies, and who is also a Dartmouth alumna, wrote an email from her account urging her colleagues and friends to vote against the petition candidates for trustee.It’s getting…

Apple v. Doe (05:46 PM) - Close-vested Apple won an intermediate victory against the company insider/blog/ISP trinity that led to the leaking of trade secrets onto the internet. Jeff Jarvis sees the sky falling- or at least descending:So the judge decided that Apple can go ahead…

How To Swindle Colorado (02:39 PM) - Ward Churchill is an expert. After the tripe-geyser that is his mind grew quiet, and after we learn that he committed art forgery, and hit a reporter, the news comes out today that he plagiarized another professor’s work. Rocky Mountain…

Back In Their Pomp, Circumstantially (10:54 AM) - The Economist offers a survey of neoconservatism. Decent, though I think they overbill the rift between ‘cons’ and ‘neocons’….

“Read that map right, boy.” (09:21 AM) - Be sure, young men, to protect your cartographical acumen. But don’t be heteronormative about it….

A Style Question (09:01 AM) - Althouse poses an interesting question here and, geek that I am, I’d like to take a swing.Question to my word editor type readers: I’ve been putting TV show names in quotes, so how should I do the possessive of “American…

Taming Iran (08:12 AM) - The US has today decided to acquiesce to Europe’s soft-spoken approach in Iran. The diplomatic petting will begin with the sale of commercial airliner parts and could end up with Iran in the World Trade Organization. Forgetting for a moment…

Remembering 3/11 (08:03 AM) - In Spain today, there is mourning for the 191 who died one year ago, when al Qaeda bombed a commuter train….

Star Wars Episode III: Ages 13 and Up (08:01 AM) - This BBC report indicates that the final Star Wars movie will not be suitable for children. Capital. UPDATE: New trailer here. UPDATE II: It’s very good. AND: Sawyer Broadley e-mails in, pointing me to a very unofficial, but pretty funny,…

Wal-Wealth (07:57 AM) - Forbes has released its latest ranking of rich people. Drudge lists the top 20 here. Of them, 5 are Waltons: the ‘Wal’ in Wal-Mart….

College Board’s New SAT (07:21 AM) - I took the SATs only two years ago, so I remember well the rigors of dealing with the evil empire known as ‘College Board’. From their fees, fines, and tarrifs to their unfathomably incompetent website to their monopolistic strangle hold…

Thursday, March 10, 2005

Anything But The Free Market (08:59 PM) - I suspect the following would be big news if a Republican had said it:WASHINGTON (AP) - The No. 2 House Democrat said Thursday that cutting Social Security benefits to the disabled and child survivors shouldn’t be dismissed as options for…

Schiavo (06:38 PM) - I haven’t written a word on the Terri Schiavo case thus far, and I am not going to offer my opinion now. I’m just poking my head into that beleaguered hospital room to say, “shh.” I cannot imagine a situation…

Wonkette’s Penultimate Abstraction (04:36 PM) - Penultimate, because here I am blogging about a blogger who blogged about CNN’s segment on bloggers blogging about the news. I feel like a hip-hop producer. In earnest, though; CNN’s attempts at mining the blogosphere for a few screenshots might…

A Fatwa ‘Gainst bin Laden (02:27 PM) - Spanish Muslims are doing the right thing: (AFP) - SPAIN’S Islamic Commission said today it was issuing a decree against al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, in the name of whose network last year’s Madrid train bombings were claimed. “We are…

How Popular Are Personal Accounts? (02:16 PM) - I referenced an AP article several days ago that said Social Security personal accounts were ‘tanking’ in the GOP’s own polls. Not surprisingly, no real sources were cited in that article; just the usual anonymous insiders. Jeff Harrell e-mailed me…

Elect a Commie: The “Healthy” Response (12:07 PM) - George Soros gets wackier every day. Drudge reports:US billionaire financier George Soros slammed as dangerous Washington’s strategy to fight terrorism, saying it was creating anger and resentment around the world. Speaking on Spanish radio station Cadena Ser the day an…

Hillary ‘08 Watch (10:51 AM) - Mrs. Clinton is outraged- outraged!- at violence and sex in children’s programming….

Welcome To Reading Period (10:08 AM) - Today is the beginning of Dartmouth’s 48-hour reading period- two days between the end of classes and the beginning of exams. Coffee abounds, the libraries are at capacity, and I’ve several textbooks arrayed before me: French, music, and game theory….

Discoveries Left To Be Made (09:47 AM) - More ‘Bush was Right’, this time in the hallowed pages of the Boston Globe….

Dot-Drawn Blogger (09:29 AM) - Ana Marie Cox is featured (she may be the first blogger to be dot-drawn by the Journal) in The Wall Street Journal this morning. The article is about her occasional fisking of White House pool reports, which, while interesting, are…

Tung Chee-hwa Steps Down (08:04 AM) - Hong Kong’s chief executive is resigning for health reasons, as AP reports:”If I continue as chief executive, I won’t be able to handle it,” he said. Tung said he tendered his resignation with China’s leadership an hour before his announcement…

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

The Continuing Saga of Dartmouth’s Unfair Elections (11:59 PM) - I really did want this post to be my last word on the election. However, the powers that be continue to stack the odds against the independent candidates. Todd Zywicki ‘88 and Peter Robinson ‘79, the two petition candidates (and…

New Information About Pro-Syria Protests (11:38 PM) - WorldNetDaily has it:JERUSALEM – The giant Hezbollah rally that drew nearly half a million purported supporters of Syria’s occupation of Lebanon included non-Lebanese citizens, Syrian workers, students and municipal employees coerced into joining the protest, former Lebanese Prime Minister Michel…

Beware the Snacks (11:31 PM) - CBS News: Snack Kills 27 Kids In Philippines…

War In Chechnya (11:23 PM) - With Aslan Maskhadov- Chechen separatist leader- killed, this is looking like another power grab opportunity for Putin. Chechnyawar.com rounds up the latest news from an anti-Soviet perspective….

Lebanon Update (11:05 PM) - It looks as if the pro-Syrian prime minister is back in….

My Old Senator (09:58 PM) - Even though it is opportunism (and rather witless opportunism at that), my Senator, Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), has recognized the ancillary benefits of the Iraq War. He said, “The war gave the Lebanese the spine they needed. It told them,…

al Qaeda Weakened (09:33 PM) - For the first time since September 11th, the FBI’s internal reports indicate that the terrorist organization may lack the ability to strike at the US again. “Al-Qa’ida leadership’s intention to attack the United States is not in question. However, their…

Suicide Chic (07:50 PM) - In USA Today: Michael Medved on the trendy ‘suicide solution’:As youthful “hippies,” we sought out sexual adventure and thrilling drugs ( la Thompson); transformed into striving yuppies, we sanctified the finest cappuccino machines and home-theater systems; as middle-aged fitness nuts,…

What’s Going on in Lebanon? (02:31 PM) - It is tough not to be disheartened by recent events in Lebanon. First, Hezbollah conjures large crowds for a counter-protest (which, mind you, is an improvement on their usual ‘protest’ tactic of suicide bombing), and now there are intimations that…

The Afghan Warrior (02:12 PM) - Waheed, an interpreter for the US Army in Afghanistan has begun ‘The Afghan Warrior’. Congratulations! UPDATE: I also want to mention MaroonBlog, a site written by three U. Chicago undergraduates. Good stuff….

Willis Responds (02:07 PM) - Oliver Willis responds to my inquiry as to why he uses fake slave speech:I think many people in America still to this day see blacks as intellectually inferior, particularly within the Republican community… [Last I checked, the GOP is not…

The Walls Have Ears At CNN (09:19 AM) - Jon Klein is having problems with employees leaking information to online journalists….

Laughter is the Best Medicine (09:04 AM) - WLNS-TV: Doctors from the University of Maryland School of Medicine think a good chuckle may help blood vessels function better. A small group of volunteers was shown 2 types of movies: comedies, like “There’s Something About Mary” and dramatic films…

So Long, Dan (08:02 AM) - Tonight we will say goodbye to the man who is increasingly being called “America’s most politicized journalist,” the epithet bestowed upon Mr. Rather by the fine folks at RatherBiased.com. Their website made it into Reuters’ early career-obit….

The Stonecipher Affair (07:56 AM) - If you are interested in the sexual escapades of Boeing’s former CEO, BusinessWeek has the latest. They broke the name of the female exec: Debra Peabody. Calico Cat has an image….

“Tear Down This Wall” (07:14 AM) - Several weeks ago, I wrote of my encounter with the French consul. One of the professors there tried to make a point- I don’t quite know what point- by telling me that it had already been agreed prior to Reagan’s…

Will Vietnam be the next Iraq? (06:42 AM) - That’s a headline that throws you for a loop. Claudia Rosett writes at Opinion Journal….

Mount Saint Helen’s (06:35 AM) - Boing-Boing has a few photos of the eruption here. AP images here….

Tuesday, March 08, 2005

Tomorrow’s News [Analysis] Today (10:41 PM) - For what it’s worth, The New York Times tomorrow allows President Bush “a taste of vindication.” (…via InstaPundit)…

Personal Accounts Tank in Polls (09:47 PM) - WASHINGTON (AP) - The heart of President Bush’s plan for Social Security, allowing younger workers to create personal accounts in exchange for a lower guaranteed government benefit, is among the least popular elements with the public, Republican pollsters told House…

Present Participles Attacking Copy Writers (08:07 PM) - Folks watching their TVs: noticing a disturbing trend. Television anchors, everywhere, abusing the present participles of words. Using them where they don’t belong. Copy editors striking the verb ‘to be’ from every line they scan: bastardizing english in a rabid…

On The Fake Slave Speech (05:37 PM) - I hesitate even to link to this, but perhaps it is time I register my disgust with otherwise competent black debaters who begin speaking in a feigned slave-esque voice whenever a Republican brings up a racial issue. Oliver Willis did…

Wow (05:14 PM) - A sudden cold snap has hit the lil town of Hanover, New Hampshire. -1 right now, with windchill. UPDATE: Two other New Hampshire bloggers brave the cold, wind, and ice….

A Different Sort of Military Scholarship (11:47 AM) - Widener University is going to create a scholarship for children of soldiers who fell in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Inquirer reports:Widener University will announce today a new scholarship for children of U.S. military personnel killed in action in the Iraq…

More on Ms. Sgrena (10:37 AM) - WashTimes obtains a Pentagon memo:”This is war. About 500 American service members have been killed by hostile fire while operating on Iraqi streets and highways. The journalist was driving in pitch-dark and at a high speed and failed, according to…

Unisex Bathrooms (10:11 AM) - Ann Althouse argues against unisex bathrooms. Her points are well-taken. There are quite a number of people at my school that need to realize not everything is fit for non-discrimination. Warning: ‘Revisionist english’ in the above post. Gender does not…

Teresa Heinz Kerry Disputes Election (10:08 AM) - There she goes again. Drudge is flashing that Mrs. Kerry is worried that the 2004 presidential vote was hacked. “Particularly in sections of the country where optical scanners were used to record votes,” Drudge reports. Indeed. I can’t even count…

Tout Doit Ceder Dans l’Universe (10:04 AM) - The military might of France is being discussed in The Corner and in the WSJ. Obscure titular reference here….

Happy Int’l Women’s Day (10:02 AM) - Today is the UN-declared International Women’s Day. So: Happy Women’s Day to 51% of the world….

Nothing Worse Than A Pacifist That Sells Arms (08:03 AM) - I just ran into this Friedman piece at Vox Baby. Definitely worth reading….

Minimum Wage Update (07:27 AM) - Several months ago, I wrote in The Dartmouth about Kerry’s proposed minimum wage increase. Of course, the issue hasn’t died down post-election. Ted Kennedy is the horse now, but the Senate, happily, just shot down the legislation. Good news as…

Feed Me Better (07:24 AM) - Zachariah informs me of a campaign for better school food. Hah. Actually, I think Dartmouth’s food isn’t too bad….

“Those Responsible Should Be Punished” (07:13 AM) - Italy’s Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini is officially disputing the US version of events in the Giuliana Sgrena affair. Bloomberg reports:[He] urged the U.S. to help find “truth and justice.” “The reconstruction we’ve made from the direct testimony of another agent…

Hezbollah “Protests” In Lebanon (07:09 AM) - And what is a pro-Syria protest like?In Beirut, black-clad activists from the Shiite Muslim terrorist group Hezbollah took over a central square to set up for the first major pro-Syrian demonstration planned for mid-afternoon. Loudspeakers were installed, trained dogs searched…

CNN’s New News (06:58 AM) - TVNewser reports that CNN has begun primetime news drop-ins a la FNC and MSNBC. The anchor? Not a CNN reporter, but a Headline News host: Erica Hill, formerly of ZDTV/TechTV. Congratulations to Ms. Hill!…

Monday, March 07, 2005

The McCain Contretemps (09:18 PM) - John McCain: Shill for big media corporations. Who would have thought? UPDATE: Much more here….

Europe Limps Toward The Uptake (08:23 PM) - More ‘Bush was Right’, this time from The Independent:It is barely six weeks since the US President delivered his second inaugural address, a paean to liberty and democracy that espoused the goal of “ending tyranny in our world”. Reactions around…

Halliburton Continues Doing Business; NBC Investigates (07:38 PM) - Mysteriously, Halliburton continues to exist. So NBC sent its intrepid ‘investigative unit leader’ Lisa Myers to find out just why this frothing beast continues to conduct its affairs, even after NBC News had clearly indicated that Halliburton (est. 1919) is…

The Blogosphere… (03:49 PM) - …making it unsafe to blink. UPDATE: More stupid blogness here, where an automotive insurance company carries a bad marketing gimmick even further past the point of inanity….

White House Blogging (03:26 PM) - A really neat account of a White House Press Gaggle from a reporter’s perspective….

The Dartmouth Trustee Elections (01:14 PM) - The Dartmouth Alum Trustee election begins today. A concerned ‘99 has forwarded me two e-mails. One is from an anonymous account- concerneddartalumna@yahoo.com- which was sent out on Dartmouth’s new ‘inCircle’ alum social network. inCircle went live just a few weeks…

Boeing CEO Has Affair, Gets Fired (08:36 AM) - NBC News:Boeing Co. on Monday said its board forced out President and Chief Executive Officer Harry Stonecipher because of a relationship Stonecipher had with a female executive at the company. Boeing said an internal investigation prompted by information sent anonymously…

Let Me Get This Straight… (07:04 AM) - A reporter for the Il Manifesto Communist newspaper- anti-Bush, anti-American, and anti-war- goes to Iraq to reveal the atrocities of America’s activities there. She is kidnapped by the very ‘terrorists’ she lovingly thinks are insurgents and freedom fighters. The United…

Sunday, March 06, 2005

24 Years Later, The Same (11:30 PM) - This Wednesday night at 6p EST, Dan Rather will abdicate his anchor chair. RatherBiased.com has an excellent recapitulation up of Mr. Rather’s very first newscast.ANNOUNCER: This is the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather. DAN RATHER: Good evening. President Reagan,…

First Blogger Gets WH Press Creds (10:41 PM) - Garrett M. Graff of a MediaBistro site- FishbowlDC- “is to be ushered into the White House briefing room to attend the daily press ‘gaggle.’,” as The New York Times reports tomorrow morning. Garrett will be there tomorrow! Congratulations!…

What Is Dartmouth Buying? (04:52 PM) - I make it a monthly task to check the Amazon.com purchase statistics to see what people are reading/listening to/viewing in my hometown and at Dartmouth. Top 5 Books shipped to Dartmouth: 1. This Day: Diaries from American Women 2. The…

Hillary ‘08 Watch (11:46 AM) - NYT: ‘As Clinton Wins G.O.P. Friends, Her Rivals’ Task Toughens’…

From Anti-Semitism In France Comes Great Unrest (10:58 AM) - Amiram Barkat with Haaretz reports on a large-scale research project in Israel:Some 60,000 French Jews are interested in immigrating to Israel, according to Bar-Ilan University research conducted by Dr. Arik Cohen. The research was based on questionnaires given to the…

The New Black (09:26 AM) - The New York Times, ever the barometer of our lives and world, asks, ‘Is a Cinema Studies Degree the New M.B.A.?’…

Looking for Votes in All the Wrong Places (09:16 AM) - Democrats know how to get lots of votes out of technicalities, vagaries, legal documents, lawyer letters, computers, and activist judges. They just aren’t that good at getting more people to vote for them. The Republicans have made major, major strides…

A Travelogue of Diplomacy (08:23 AM) - OpinionJournal has an excellent account of an increasingly pro-America Germany, and President Bush’s visit there….

For Churchill, More of the Same (08:19 AM) - Ward Churchill got a chance to preach his treasonous tripe to a predisposed and already-indoctrinated audience on the Bill Maher show. Of course, the flashing ‘APPLAUSE’ signs probably helped, too. See video of the nutty professor here….

Routing Reuters (12:56 AM) - For some odd reason, the current Reuters wire story on Assad’s Lebanon pullout describes it as “complete and swift” (neither of which is true) and then immediately goes on to cast the Washington response as reactionary and stubborn….

Saturday, March 05, 2005

Niger Cancels Mass Freeing of Slaves (10:15 PM) - This is one of the oddest bits of news I’ve read in a while… From the BBC:The government of Niger has cancelled at the last minute a special ceremony during which at least 7,000 slaves were to be granted their…

Beware of Zombies (05:44 PM) - High school literati take note: short stories about zombies taking over your school is tantamount to a second degree terrorist threat. An e-mail from Ryan Bender points me to this news story out of Lexington, KY:A George Rogers Clark High…

NYT: Nat’l Geographic Doc. Is Propaganda (03:33 PM) - Virginia Heffernan reviewed National Geographic’s In the Womb special, which showed the entire birth process from conception to delivery.”…you have to watch the little creature in utero, growing in all its Operation Rescue propaganda detail, in the National Geographic Channel’s…

We Get Mail (02:31 PM) - FIRE sent two of their publications: FIRE’s Guide to Free Speech on Campus and FIRE’s Guide to Due Process and Fair Procedure on Campus. So far they look great. I’ll write more about them after I have had some time…

Still a Winter Wonderland (11:42 AM) - Lauren is up, and so I’ll be having a big (and late) breakfast, and then it is self-embarrassment time as I try to ice skate. UPDATE: Did not fall down once. Huzzah!…

Of “Toolish” Screennames and Right-Wing Lies (11:15 AM) - I just came across this liberal blogger, who is irate that conservative weblog writers pushed forth the Jersey City murder story. We learned today, and I relayed, that the murders turned out to have been a botched robbery. The NYPost…

The Mistaken Clinton Quote (10:37 AM) - I was all set to put up a post questioning the veracity of this Arab News report that Power Line and LGF used in recent posts. That news source reported that Bill Clinton had said, “Iran today is, in a…

The Jersey City Murders (10:07 AM) - I posted in January about the murder of an entire Jersey City family. At the time, it appeared as if the slayings were carried out under the banner of Islam, as the father was an Egyptian Christian who had posted…

Time Wasting Internet Game (09:06 AM) - I’ve coined an acronym. You know those games and puzzles online that permit gross negligence in one’s work? Let them be known as TWIGs: time wasting internet games. Right now, I’m playing a version of mini-golf that is far more…

Chinese on America (08:58 AM) - Like many Americans, I have heard horror stories of the intense brainwashing and indoctrination that goes on in China’s public schools. It is entirely within reason to expect children subjected to this warping to grow up with great hatred for…

UN Produces Weapons Report (08:03 AM) - There is a new another Iraq weapons report out. This one is producing the headline ‘90 dangerous sites looted in Iraq’ in the western media. It sounds like a whole lot of NYT/CBS hooey, but it in fact is a…

Breaking… Lebanon v. Syria (07:55 AM) - After calls for a pullout from the US, Saudi Arabia, and the Lebanese people, Syria announced a partial withdrawal. Might that not be good enough for Lebanon? CNN: Lebanese armored vehicles take up positions around Syrian intelligence headquarters in Beirut….

Italian Journo Home (07:46 AM) - Giuliana Sgrena is back in Italy safely, but the incident spells trouble for the Prime Minister:But Bush’s phone call late Friday to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi did little to assuage anger In Italy, which has been holding its breath over…

Friday, March 04, 2005

Beating a Dead Horse (11:49 PM) - Ward Churchill, anti-American college professor extraordinaire, was on Bill Maher’s show this evening. An excerpt from Jeff Jarvis’ narrative:Churchill says that, “First of all the government doesn’t kill anybody.” He says that Americans do it. Maher asks him whether fighting…

Seeking Failure (09:19 PM) - According to at least one source- and a broad survey of news reports within the past few weeks- attacks by terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan are at all-time lows. What is a scoop-sniffing journo to do? Why, take the Eason…

Update (05:18 PM) - Been very busy today, finishing a music review and getting other bits of work done. I’m off to dinner in a bit and then, hopefully, I’ll have time to get caught up….

Proper Speech Deserves Praise (10:39 AM) - It seems that, like me, John Derbyshire is a martinet with the English language. Does his linguistic acumen, demonstrated so impressively in grammar posts, extend to pronunciation? On the next edition of his ‘Radio Derb’, I should like to hear…

Good Economic News (10:09 AM) - There is good economic news to read about today: - 262,000 new jobs in February; biggest gain in four months - Unemployment low at 5.4% - Estimate of quarterly growth: 4% - Broad employment increases; construction, retail, and business… -…

The Temporary Worker Problem (07:20 AM) - A Denver Post poll finds that most Mexicans would join Bush’s proposed temporary-worker visa program [a/k/a amnesty], but most would also stay in the US when it expired, volunteering that they would stay here ‘until they die’ or ‘as long…

Syria’s ‘Partial Pullout’ (07:15 AM) - BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is expected to announce on Saturday the pullout of some Syrian troops from Lebanon and the redeployment of the rest close to the border, a Lebanese political source said on Friday. Obviously, they’re…

It Is Your Destiny (07:05 AM) - Dan Rather on Letterman last night: “Bottom line, I think George Bush was destined to be reelected whatever happened in august and September.” It’s a funny thing to say, but the more I look back on the hijinx that so…

Thursday, March 03, 2005

Manufacture the News; The Facts Will Follow (07:37 PM) - After publishing exit poll numbers from ‘totallylegitpollguy@yahoo.tz’, I’m not sure about trusting Ana Marie Cox, but in any event she was asked to recommend a guest for MSNBC. The NBC News producer said:We are looking for someone (probably not at…

Dartmouth Alumni Elections (05:09 PM) - John Kalb advocates voting for the two petition candidates for Dartmouth College trustee. He has joined a growing chorus of people desirous of more than the status quo….

The Dartblog: Proudly Heteronormative Since 2004! (04:51 PM) - Academia invented a new word yesterday! It’s called ‘heteronormative’. As I understand it (though my own heteronormativosity could cloud my perception) this new adjective describes something that advances, acknowledges, or otherwise supports the idea that heterosexuality is normal. Harvard students…

The Glamour Of Office Supplies (03:33 PM) - Last time I needed a plain manilla 8.5x11 envelope I think I shelled out $0.49 for it. I didn’t realize what a bargain that was….

“Farewells aren’t supposed to go this way.” (03:03 PM) - So writes Peter Johnson in today’s USA Today, of Dan Rather. He says that Rather is a pinata - being swung at by everyone who always detested him and now want the world to think [know -JM] he is retiring…

Live Video (02:42 PM) - See Fossett return home from his round-the-world journey here….

Freeway Signage For Kerry! (01:00 PM) - The Freewayblogger is one of those wayward souls who exercises his freedom of speech (“use it or lose it,” he says with the sapience of a wizened old oak) by hanging large signs on freeways that say things such as…

Tres Desole (12:25 PM) - Blogging has been light because I am currently in the thrall of reviewing some post-romantic compositions of questionable worth….

RIP: Peter Z. Malkin (08:13 AM) - Peter Z. Malkin died at the age of 77 in New York. Born in Israel the British Mandate of Palestine, he was the agent who captured the top Nazi fugitive- Adolf Eichmann- in Buenos Aires in 1960. The story of…

Watching America.com (08:09 AM) - Robin Koerner e-mails in about her new site that does translations of inside-the-ballpark news stories from other countries. So far: accusations that SoS Rice is ‘anti-black’, al-Assad “expecting” attack from US, Afghanistan free of al-Qaeda leadership….

I Can See Clearly Now (08:07 AM) - All of these victories for Democracy… they must be because France is with us!…

Wednesday, March 02, 2005

Two Years For Bali Bomber (11:19 PM) - Breaking on AP: An Indonesian court has sentenced militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir to 30 months in jail for conspiracy in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people. This is a problem. Bashir is the leader of Jemaah…

Also: Where’s The Beef? (11:15 PM) - CBSNews’ brilliant headline writers ask:Where’s The Momentum? It’s been a battle worthy of an election year, but President Bush has generated little public enthusiasm for his bold plan to overhaul Social Security, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll….

Clowns To The Left Of Me (11:12 PM) - Found on Daily Kos:1. If Repubs say we’re making a mistake, we’re on the right track. 2. If Repubs say we’re being reasonable, we’re making a mistake. 3. If Repubs snicker at a candidate (think Dean), they are afraid of…

Music Blogging (06:48 PM) - When writing about classical music (as I am now doing) I often find myself needing to cleanse my auditory palate. Right now, Reprise’s 1986 CD release of Sinatra’s Strangers in the Night (1966) is serving admirably. A friend of mine-…

Is It Just Me? (05:43 PM) - Or is everyone else having a hard time going through their daily/hourly cycle of online news sites? Michael Jackson’s photo is on every one….

Communism Doesn’t Work On The Net (03:31 PM) - China is trying to convince the UN that the internet needs an international governing body:Chinese Ambassador Sha Zukang has told a United Nations conference in Geneva that all countries, including their public and private sector agencies, should be responsible for…

The Call Is Out There (03:29 PM) - WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush increased pressure on Syria Wednesday, demanding it withdraw its troops from Lebanon, while Iran and its nuclear weapons program drew fresh U.S. criticism….

Yet Another ‘Bush Was Right’ Column (03:02 PM) - I see that even The Guardian has a “holy Hell, he was right” article. Penned by Jonathan Freedland, that paper’s shrinking-violet-in-chief, the editorial says:Tony Blair is not gloating…But if he had wanted to brag and claim credit - boasting that…

So Sweet, It Gave Me a Toothache (10:24 AM) - Emily Wagster’s fawning AP report on Dean’s speech in Jackson, Miss. is just too much:JACKSON, Miss. - Praying for American troops and evoking biblical images of helping the needy, Howard Dean told Mississippi Democrats on Tuesday night that the national…

Ted Stevens Goes Too Far (08:46 AM) - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens said on Tuesday he would push for applying broadcast decency standards to cable television and subscription satellite TV and radio. “Cable is a much greater violator in the indecency area,” the…

UN Peacekeepers Take Action (08:19 AM) - In the interest of balance…KINSHASA, March 2 (Xinhuanet) — UN peacekeepers killed at least 50 militiamen in a clash in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Tuesday, the UN mission said Wednesday in the capital Kinshasa.Who authorized this?…

Modern Feminazism (08:05 AM) - Carrie Lukas at NRO thinks that things aren’t going too well for the militant feminists of the land….

Secret Agent Man (08:02 AM) - A fascinating article on spying in Opinion Journal this morning….

Star Wars Episode III (07:55 AM) - Very soon, I will be closing my eyes and ears to everything Star Wars-related until I actually see the final film and am able to exclaim how awesome it was without the ultra-cynical context that has plagued the past two…

Churchill Comes To Town… (07:51 AM) - Ann Althouse’s town, that is. She’s miffed. But right. There’s little new about what he’s saying:I find him incredibly boring, saying the sort of tired old things that radicals have been saying for as long as we can remember. He’s…

Of Europe and Microsoft (07:10 AM) - Tom Bozzo very kindly answers my request for an explanation of the EU’s case against Microsoft, and why a) it’s a fair one and b) why a 5% of global profit fine is within the power of a geographically-limited court…

Tuesday, March 01, 2005

En Vogue In D.C. (10:47 PM) - Julia Bernstein has a good piece in The Dartmouth, on the dangers of letting Hollywood glamour infect politics. One of the advantages of having white men in charge of policy is that no one really cares about what’s “hot” and…

“It’s Working When They Stop Calling It The Bush Doctrine” (10:44 PM) - Ana Marie Cox on Scarborough Country a few moments ago. Quite true. UPDATE: Trey has video here….

Obstruction of Justice at the UN (10:29 PM) - The scandal continues to climb the ladder, nearing Korrupt Kofi himself. FoxNews reports today that Annan’s second in command, Louise Frechette, “intervened directly by telephone to stop United Nations auditors from forwarding their investigations to the U.N. Security Council.” That…

Roper v. Simmons Decisions (10:19 PM) - Orin Kerry at The Volokh Conspiracy has scanned the decisions and is quite impressed with Scalia’s dissent. Although I have a moral disagreement with Scalia here, I suspect I’d be similarly impressed with this opinion, as I am with most…

Expect a Drubbing (09:40 PM) - Tom Bozzo of Marginal Utility e-mailed me, informing me that tomorrow he’ll have a response up to my Microsoft/EU comments. On a slightly different topic, he clarifies ‘The West Wing Syndrome’: The “syndrome” refers to a habit of defending policies…

The Firefox Revolution (06:38 PM) - Ignore what this man says. It is amazing how one minute bit of smart software engineering can improve one’s life. I have discovered the wonders of the third mouse button in Firefox. The third mouse button is what you are…

Dartmouth Trustee Election Violations (06:35 PM) - TDR is covering it here, here, and here. UPDATE: Nathaniel Ward alerts me to More here….

America, Inc: NYSE-Listed as ‘USA’ (05:22 PM) - This is pretty funny:WASHINGTON – The Bush Administration will launch a major government reform initiative aimed at privatizing all operations of the federal government, White House spokesmen said today. Called “America, Inc.” the plan would place all three branches of…

Iraqis Against Terrorism (05:03 PM) - Power Line has details on, and a photo of, an important protest in Iraq today….

I Don’t Watch ‘The West Wing’ (02:09 PM) - …but Tom Bozzo at Marginal Utility counts me among the victims of “The West Wing Syndrome”. As Tom explains it: “The Syndrome is, in short, the irrational belief that the political leadership of the right is principled.” I’ve responded to…

BBC’s Questionable Editing Choices (01:24 PM) - This is fairly disturbing. UPDATE: Link fixed….

SCOTUS: No Executions For Minors (10:32 AM) - FoxNews reports:The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the death penalty for 16- and 17-year-old offenders is unconstitutional in a 5-4 decision. Tuesday’s ruling in Roper v. Simmons affects the 19 states that still subject youths to capital punishment, along…

Unfashionably Late, But We’ll Take It (09:01 AM) - This morning’s New York Times editorial is a rarity. Not only does it say something good about President Bush, it goes further by actually giving him credit for his accomplishments, instead of attributing them to unexpected side effects of otherwise…

Tilling Europe On Iran (08:07 AM) - Evidently, “all options are on the table.” Some are certainly better than others; giving Iran a few jumbo jets and asking them nicely to ‘please stop building hydrogen bombs’ isn’t the best. That’s Europe’s plan, and President Bush isn’t abandoning…

Vox Clamantis Grows Quieter (07:59 AM) - The Dartmouth reports that Jim Kuypers, Dartmouth’s only professor of speech (and thus the head of the speech department), is highly dissatisfied with the administration’s lack of support in expanding the department:A fully staffed department from 1920 to 1979, the…

French Journo Kidnapped (07:55 AM) - BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Kidnapped French journalist Florence Aubenas, taken hostage with her driver in Baghdad more than seven weeks ago, made a desperate appeal for help in a video tape released by Iraqi insurgents Tuesday. “My name is Florence Aubenas….

Good Morning, Lebanon (07:52 AM) - The process of forming a new Lebanese government begins today….