Random Fun Fact

Forty percent of all the pardons that Bill Clinton signed were done on his last day in office.

Explosion in Israel

Tel Aviv was hit with a huge explosion on a seaside promenade. Looks like a suicide bombing.

The Heck?

National Review Online has been hacked!

Here's the message now at the site: "Hacked by DarkHunter ... Freedom for palestian and Iraq ... gr33tz to #USG and #teso channels "

Buddy, you have just messed with the wrong website. I hate to think of what the tech-savvy NR-philes will do to ya in cyberspace.

UPDATE: It's back up.
UPDATE II: It's back down. Josh Claybourn has some info.

The Difference a Year Makes

I thought I'll show an interesting juxtaposition involving two pieces of writing by leftist Eric Alterman. The first excerpt is from a 21 March 2003 Nation column bashing Andrew Sullivan's blog:

Now Sullivan has launched a career in the brave new world of "blogging," or vanity websites. And while his site arouses a certain gruesome car-wreck fascination, it serves primarily as a reminder to writers of why we need editors. Andrewsullivan.com sets a standard for narcissistic egocentricity that makes Henry Kissinger look like St. Francis of Assisi. Readers are informed, for instance, that Andy's toilet recently overflowed; that he had a rollicking dinner chez Hitchens; that he might have seen Tina Brown across a hotel lobby, but he's not sure; and that, in separate, apparently unrelated incidents, he had a nightmare and ate a bad tuna-fish sandwich that upset his tummy, requiring many "stomach evacuations."

Alterman has apparently completely forgotten he wrote that sneering little article since he now has his own li'l blog. On 9 April 2003 while a statue of Saddam Hussein was being toppled in freshly liberated Baghdad, Mr. Alterman decided to write lifting a curse from a friend of his. You see, bad things would happen to the friend after he listen to Lou Reed songs.

He told me of the curse that Lou had cast on his life. I don't remember all the details, but Mike was the Lou Reed fan to end all Lou Reed fans from the time he attended Columbia as an undergrad for about a decade and a half. That's when Lou's curse began to take effect. I forget the details, but it was no joke. Mike would always put on one of Lou's albums mark the key moments of his life and something would always go horribly wrong. Girls would dump him; his wife had a miscarriage and I forget what else, but it was bad. He never listened to his favorite artist ever again. I tried to think of what life would be like if I felt forced to exile myself from Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan. I couldn't bear it.

Alterman sees Lou Reed in a restaurant and pesters him to lift the curse.

So I did it. Like the ultimate bridge-and-tunnel teenage nudnik, I walked back to the sidewalk café and excused myself, and said, "Mr. Reed, you probably don't want to hear this whole story but?"

Lou: "Excuse me, I'm trying to have a meal here."

Me: "Would you just do me a favor and lift the curse on my friend Mike?"

Lou (getting angry): "Listen, I'm trying to have a meal?."

Me: "Just say 'Sure, I lift the curse on Mike' and I'm outta here. I promise."

Lou (exasperated and angry): "Sure. I lift the curse on Mike."

Me: "Thanks. Bye."

I'm glad Alterman is such a good friend to Mike that he would bug someone famous to 'lift a curse." But here's my point, Alterman's rather lengthy piece involves his personal life, much the same way some of Sullivan's post concern his. Does that make Alterman, by Alterman's own standards in the earlier Nation column, in need of an editor?

Can Guess You Whom This Is?



Hint: He now drives the liberals crazy and has much less hair.

What's Going On

O.J. to get his own reality show? Yep. I'm sure we'll get to see his search for the real killers.
UPDATE: O.J. says his doesn't have any plans to star in his own reality program, but the production company declares that it will use archived footage shot in the last two years.

Ben Domenech ably disects the whole Santorum flap.

One of Saddam's top toadies, Tariq Aziz, is in US custody. Fun Fact: Aziz's original name was Mikhail Yuhanna.

Internet star and general annoyer of traditional media types Matt Drudge will be on C-SPAN's Washington Journal program at 7 AM Central.

While being asked by Wolf Blitzer on CNN about whether the Iraqi people are better off now that they are free of Hussein, former Vermont governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Howard Dean averred, "We don't know that yet. We don't know that yet, Wolf. We still have a country whose city is mostly without electricity. We have tumultuous occasions in the south where there is no clear governance. We have a major city without clear governance." Don't know yet? Gee, the Iraqis are free of a murderous tyrant who had run the country into the ground and Howie Dean isn't sure that they are better off? Good grief.

In two weeks the 1st Annual Lt. Governor Amy Tuck Golf Classic will be held. Now, call me a country bumpkin, but how can it be a "classic" if this is the first time this event is being held? Can't they use another word like "tournament"?

Cool Music

The Blue Man Group released its new album, The Complex, yesterday. Here's the music video for the first single, which features Dave Matthews on vocals, "Sing Along." A real "sad but catchy" song. If you're on dial-up, be forewarned, it's a full 7 megs. I first saw the video on CTN while eating lunch in the Johnson Commons. And I emphasis saw, since the volume was way down on the TV and I could only hear the CBS soap opera blaring out a nearby set.

Whew!

The evil paper (9 1/2 pages %$#@! ) and test (easier than I thought) are now vanquished. Let the blogging parade begin!

Light or No Posting...

...until Wednesday after I finish my Poli-Sci essay and sales force management test. Sigh.

Happy Easter

Well, y'all, after my 1:00 class today I will boogie out of Oxford and head to my grandparents for Easter. Sadly for all 5 of my readers (Thanks Josh, Aakash, Tony, Lee Ann, and Kyle!*), this means no posting until Sunday evening at the earliest.

And I know that my posting has dropped off in recent days. This can be attributed to the collective effort of my professors to kill me with papers, tests, homeworks, etc. etc. But after next Wednesday, when I turn my Poli-Sci paper and take a major sales force management test, things will quiet down on the academic front for a little bit until (insert dramatic drum roll) Final Exams.

*I'm probably forgetting a few others. If I left you out, please holler in the comments.

Say It Ain't So.

Why, Viggo, why?

Another good 'un from Marshall Ramsey

Sounds Good To Me

U.S. Representative from Maryland, Republican Roscoe Bartlett is introducing a bill to move the last day to file for income taxes right before election day.

Tax Day

In honor of this glorious day, here's a few quotes to help soothe the soul.

"The taxpayer - that's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take a civil service exam." --Ronald Reagan

"Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but Democrats believe every day is April 15." --Ronald Reagan

"The less government we have the better." --Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The Lord's Prayer is 66 words, the Gettysburg Address is 286 words, and there are 1,322 words in the Declaration of Independence. Yet, government regulations on the sale of cabbage total 26,911 words." --David McIntosh

"Somehow liberals have been unable to acquire from birth what conservatives seem to be endowed with at birth: namely, a healthy skepticism of the powers of government to do good." --Daniel Patrick Moynihan

"Most Dangerous President Ever"

That's the title of the current issue of the lefty rag The American Prospect. The title article, written by Harold Meyerson, starts with this sentence that nobody thought they would read in a liberal publication:

"I miss Ronald Reagan"

He qualifies it with the typical left-wing complains about Reagan's policies, i.e. " Reagan was our first president to proclaim government the problem, to cut taxes massively on the rich...", however, Mr. Meyerson proclaims that in comparison to Reagan, Bush is the Truly Evil One®. Meyerson then goes on and on about how divisive Bush is and how he is making America less safe and how blah, blah, blah, etc.

If you what a pure distillation on the absolute loathing the Left has a Bush, read the whole thing.

If you are so inclined, check out my Guest Map at the bottom of the right links bar.

Scalia Coverage

The Daily Mississippian: "Scalia Defends His Legal Views"
Ole Miss Newsdesk: "Scalia Attacks 'Living Document' Interpretations of Constitution"
Clarion-Ledger: "Scalia: 'Living Constitution' could mean less freedom"

By the way, here's some information about Gregory Heyworth, the English professor that challenged Scalia's originalist view of the Constitution.

Kudos...

...to Howard Bashman at How Appealing for linking to my account of Scalia's speech (which now seems likes the political equivalent of a teenie bopper's account of a Justin Timberlake concert). A reader of How Appealing has his own take of the lecture.

UPDATE: Chris Lawrence is kind in providing a link too. Unfortunately he wan't able to attend since he has been rather sick for the last few days. So head on over to his site and wish him a speedy recovery.

How Sweet It Is



US Marines and local Iraqs tore down statue of the Fearless Leader in central Baghdad.

via San Diego Union-Tribune

"Kurds Capture Kirkuk"

Say that five times fast.

Wasn't "Kirkuk" what Captain Kirk called himself after he lost his memory on the planet inhabited by a tribe of Indians?

Ooops, it's "Kirok"

Excuse Me?

From News.co.au

Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia - three of Washington's closet Arab allies - today called for Iraq's future government to be chosen by the Iraqis as US forces captured Baghdad.

In almost identical words, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Jordan's Foreign Minister Marwan Moasher and his Saudi counterpart, Prince Saud al-Faisal, said they wanted to deal with a leadership chosen by the Iraqi people alone.

"The Iraqi people must decide the future of Iraq and choose their own leadership at this time. No one else can do that. This is Jordan's firm position," Moasher said

Two monarchies and an autocracy are saying that the people of Iraq should choose their own leader. Right.....

via WorldNetDaily

Indescribable Glee

Guess who has Antonin Scalia's autograph? Guess who got to shake Antonin Scalia's hand? ME! ME! ME! Excuse me while I do the Dance of Joy!

Okay, finished dancing (for now). I arrived at Fulton Chapel around thirty minutes before the speech and the seats were already filling up fast. By 4:00 the chapel was absolutely packed with many college students, faculty, and others who wished to see the Supreme Court Justice. After an brief introduction by a law school professor, Mr. Scalia orated on constitutional interpretation, advocating an originalist position. Justice Scalia more than lived up to his reputation of sardonic wit which was specially on display during the Q & A. The first questioner asked something about the constitutionality of faith-based intitiatives (I couldn't really hear him) to which Scalia responded, "Considering that that issue may come before the Court, it's probably best I don't answer that." Waits a beat and smiles..."I said I would take questions; I didn't say I would answer them." Another was posed by none other that Mississippi's own anti-Zionist "White Country Rebel," Jim Giles. At least I'm pretty sure that was him; he didn't applaud or stand at all. He shouted a rant for a minute about how the University ban Confederate flags on sticks in the football stadium is a violation of the freedom of speech. The justice simply responded that he had other issues to deal with and wasn't all that familiar with the flag ban. Mr. Giles subsequently stormed out.

Then there was the English teacher up on the balcony. He assailed Scalia's view of originial intent in deciding the constitutionality of a manner by saying that the English language has changed since the Bill of Rights were created. And due to that change, one could use a more "living document" approach to the Constitution, he argued. After all, he has to explain the language of Shakespeare and of Chaucer to his students, according to the professor, by using modern day equivilants that aren't exactly accruate. "So, words have no meaning?" quipped Scalia and then pummelled the professor on the absolute nonsense of that view. There were a few more questions, but they were fairly tame and I can't rightly remember them fully.

The crowd was very respectful for the most part; a stark contrast to the treatment many conservative speakers receive on other college campuses. Justice Scalia could actually speak without Leftists shouting over him.

A little over a half of a dozen of NOW protestors, including Ole Miss's resident Leftist homosexual, Chris Kelly, stood in front of the chapel with the standard issue "Keep Abortion Legal" signs. I don't think that any of them bothered to actually listen to the speech of the man they were protesting. But they pretty much behaved themselves.

I ran back to my dorm room after the Q & A to get a pen and immediately I ran back to the Croft Institute building where a reception was held. There was literally a throng of people orbiting around Justice Scalia. Many shook hands, chatted briefly, and/or had their pictures taken with "Nino." And there I was, face to face with one of America's leading legal minds. I shook his hand and managed to stutter out a request for him to autograph my program for the lecture which he graciously did. And I have been on Cloud Nine ever since. I mean I shook the hand of Antonin Scalia! Antonin FREAKING Scalia!

Anyway, back to the Dance of Joy.

Here Comes Da Judge

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will give a lecture here at Ole Miss tomorrow about constitutional interpretation. Guess who's going. (Pointing my thumb to myself) This guy!

I've read a few of the comments posted at the bottom of the article and there seems like a few pro-abortion people are going to protest in front of Fulton Chapel, the locale of the speech. That should be interesting if it happens...

Kudos

Many thanks to Buck Hicks for syndicating this site over at his place, Liberty First.

RSS Feed

FYI: Yesterday, I signed up to make my blog provide a RSS Feed. So, if you are so inclined, scroll down the link bar on the right and click on the "XML" button to get the URL to add to your RSS reader or just simply copy and paste this URL:

http://www.voidstar.com/rssify.php?url=http://www.patrickcarver.blogspot.com

If you have no clue as to what I am talking about, click here.

Sorry for the lack of posting, I went home this week-end which is a 4.5 - 5 hour drive away and I was up late last night finishing a take-home test for politicial science. As you can tell, I'm still recuperating.

Priorities

The ACLU is urging the Florida Department of Health to stop publishing pamplets about AIDS containing Bible verses.

The pamphlets, with "Florida Department of Health" printed on the cover along with the agency's logo, are titled "A Christian Response to AIDS" and use Biblical passages to urge compassion toward people with AIDS and the HIV virus.

The brochure asks: "How would Jesus respond to a person with HIV or AIDS?" and promises that "Jesus is our Hope." It quotes several Bible passages throughout

It seems that the ACLU has some time off from defending pedophiles

Homegrown Idiotarians

I mentioned a few days ago this announcment opposing the war made by the Green Party of Mississippi which I will know fisk with no mercy.

The Green Party of Mississippi reaffirms its opposition to war on Iraq, first presented in a statement issued in September 2002. This war is immoral because Iraq did not attack the U.S.; nor did it pose a credible threat to do so. This negates any justification for a preemptive war. The Green Party, in keeping with international law and the U.N. charter, condemns the very notion of preemptive war as a crime against peace.

So basically, we should just wait until Saddam develops weapons of mass destructive, finds effective ways to transport them, and finally unleashes them on innocent civilians to act.
"No credible threat"? I guess he's invested millions of dollars into chemical/biological/nuclear weapons research for nothing.

We oppose the war because it is a criminal offense for the U.S. to attack Iraq, kill Iraqis, and destroy their country.

That's right, the evil US Government is just out to quench the bloodlust of the evil neoconservatives cabal who really run things. Don't y'all think that Saddam has destroyed Iraq with his years of misrule?

We condemn the Bush administration because it is forcing our military personnel to follow orders that require them to commit crimes against peace.

Now that's rich, "crimes against peace"! If the members of our military are against fighting, then they can resign.

War begets animosity and engenders hatred that lasts for generations. It is a sad day for America when our president makes war against all the better advice of world leaders, people around the globe, and millions of Americans.

Ahh, the good ol' "the rest of the world hates us and it's all President Bush's fault because the rest of the world can't be wrong" line.
Actually over forty world leaders support our war in Iraq, but I guess they don't count, right? As for the "millions of Americans" opposed to the war, there are many millions more that are for it (around 70% of all Americans).

We condemn the hypocrisy and lies of the Bush administration. The U.S. forbids Turkey to move troops into Kurdish northern Iraq on a small scale, while the U.S. invades on a massive scale.

Now that's pure 180-proof idiotarian "thinking" staring back at 'cha. Let me try to explain the situation: The Turks and the Kurds are not particularly fond of each other to say the least. If the Turkish Army goes into Northern Iraq (under the pretext of protecting Turkey's borders from Kurdish terrorists, most likely), there's a strong chance that the Kurds are going to defend themselves through force. And the US doesn't really want to have to deal with that problem once it starts. So, the best solution is to keep the Turks out.
The US isn't invading Iraq, they are there to remove the government of Hussein. There aren't any plans to make Iraq a US territory.

No weapons of mass destruction are in evidence except those used by the U.S. We condemn the bombing of cities and the killing of civilians in the name of democracy.

Coalition forces have been gone out of their way to avoid civilian casualties; they have been targeting military structures.

We condemn the foreclosing of dissent by a propaganda machine that tries to convince Americans that the only permissible reaction, now that the U.S. has started a war, is to support it.

"A propaganda machine"? And what composes this evil machine oppressing such noble dissenters such as y'all?

We declare that all Americans of conscience have the right to oppose their government's actions, and we intend to continue that opposition until war ends. In the best traditions of democracy, anti-war protesters are willing to stand in the public eye, defend their views, and engage in debate.

If you want to be fools, go for it. As long has y'all keep it peaceful and the like, there shouldn't be a problem. But, ya know, y'all might be better served by putting the "Bush=Hitler" sign away. They don't exactly persuade anyone, now do they?

The Green Party declares its support for the men and women who wear the uniform of the USA. We proclaim that the best way to support them is to bring them home. We do not want them to be killed or wounded or traumatized by war. We do not want them to suffer horrors or inflict them on others. We support the troops when we call for the ending of this unjustifiable, illegal war now.

Nobody wants our troops to be hurt or killed (except for the wackos on the far Left). I support our troops in the job they are doing so ably and bravely.
From the sound of this paragraph, you would think that the US government is shoving guns into the hands of kindergarteners and shipping them to Iraq without their blankies. The armed forces are composed of men and women who have volunteered to serve their country in times of war. Many of them are going to see things that they will soon not forget. Some are going to have a hard time adjusting to life after they get back home. Yet, when their job is done, the people of Iraq will be free and will no longer have to fear the brutality of the Butcher of Baghdad. The Iraqis will no longer be under an autocrat that believes that they and their country exists for his amusement.
I wish that Saddam Hussein and his goons would just evaporate into the ether. But you know what? They aren't just going to just disappear; force needs to be used to lance the boil on humanity that is the Hussein regime. And I proudly salute the troops who are getting that job done now.

We condemn the war because it will divert vital tax revenues from domestic needs.

Socialist Reason to Oppose Any War #7: The precious taxpayer funds are being used to carry out an actual Constitutional function of the federal government (national defense) and not to the bloated programs (that have dubious constitutional authorization) near and dear to socialist heart.

The yearly budget for the State of Mississippi, which supports public schools and universities, health services and road building, the legislature, judiciary, and governor's office, amounts to 3.5 billion dollars per year. This amount is being wasted in a few days of war in Iraq. Americans gain nothing from this, while our government earns fear and hatred from most of the world's people. The taxpayers of Mississippi should not be asked to bear this war's burden. Nor should any American taxpayer.

We rid ourselves and the world of a maniac dictator who was developing weapons of mass destruction; we ensure that a vital piece of the world's oil reserves aren't under the control of a despot; we are helping to put a more democratic government in a region severely lacking any. Discounting those three things, then yeah, we gain nothing from this.
And since when is the Green Party worried about wasting government money?

The Green Party of Mississippi, following its key value of non-violence, holds that every attempt should be made to resolve conflicts without violence.

Every attempt was made, but Saddam and his goons weren't in any rush to disarm themselves of their weapons of mass destruction, so force has been applied to remove them and the regime responsible for producing them.

The Bush administration failed to accommodate dissent and was deaf to every proposed compromise, so there is no reason to support and every reason to oppose this violent act of war

.
Umm, didn't President Bush try to work with the UN for around a @#$@ YEAR on dealing with Iraq's chemical/biological/nuclear weapons programs?

We condemn it and call for the US to return to respect for the rule of law in international affairs, rather than becoming a tyrant in the cause of ending tyranny.

Did the Green Party of Mississippi issue a statement within the last year calling for Hussein's regime to respect "the rule of law in international affairs" or even to respect the basic human rights of the Iraqi people? I think we all know the answer to that?

The Green Party of Mississippi dedicates itself to the cause of peace with justice, for the people of Mississippi, the USA, and the world.

Well, isn't that nice? I'm sure that's of comfort to the average Iraqi leaving under Saddam's iron fist.

Sweetness

US military forces have captured Saddam Hussein International Airport and have renamed it Baghdad International.

Fisking, Brandeis-style

Joshua over at Jawsblog fisks the livin' tarnation out of a letter to the editor in his "An April-Madness Fisking." I would just directing link to the post, but Blogger is screwy with his archives right now. Bad, Blogger, bad!

Lefties on Parade

The ever indispensable FrontPage Magazine has a small but revealing gallery of pictures of various anti-war anti-American Leftist in action.

"Which One is the Rhodes Scholar?"

Another funny picture via WorldNetDaily.

If you haven't read Jay Nordlinger's Impromptus column at NRO, then you are really missing out.

Surprise, Surprise

The Green Party of Mississippi, all five members of it, is opposed to the war in Iraq

UPDATE: Be prepared for a fisking of this by moi.

Disgusting

French vandals have sprayed vile grafitti onto a British war cemetery in northern France. Among the erudite slogans on the monument were "Rosbeefs (British) go home," "Saddam Hussein will win and spill your blood," and "Death to Yankees." That last one irritates me the most since I hate it when foreigners refer to all Americans as Yankees.

The French Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Raffarin, has rightly denounced this deplorable act of disrespect. After all, this is a cemetery filled with around 11,000 British troops who died to help keep France free. Because of those soldiers' sacrifice, the punks that defiled their grave are speaking French today. Have a beef (or a rosbeef) with the USA and the UK? Fine, protest, write letters, post flyers, do whatever. But, don't dare desecrate the graves of men who were more courageous that you'll ever be.

"Victory is at Hand"

With coalition troops now 19 miles or so from Baghdad, I think that's a pretty true statement.

But wait! Saddam or who ever is running the thuggish regime right now issued that statement declaring impending victory.

From the Pulpit

Bennie Thompson, Democrat representing the 2nd Congressional District of Mississippi, aimed a few jabs at President Bush while speaking to church congregation in Clarksdale, MS, last Sunday.

I can't really second-guess Bush, but in all honesty, I'm not sure he is making the right decision. We have a president who really only goes to church when he's in trouble. Otherwise, he goes to Camp David. And I wonder if we are negotiating our grandchildren's futures for more oil.

From what I have read about President Bush, he is quite a frequent church attender and even holds daily voluntary Bible studies at the White House. If Mr. Thompson had made this same remark about 5 years ago about having a president going to church only during times of trouble, it would have been pretty accurate. After all, didn't we see a great deal of Clinton going to church and holding a Bible during impeachment?

As for the "grandchildren's futures for more oil" comment, well, it's the typical Leftist numbskullery. The Evil Oil Companies would have commanded the Bush Administration to lobby to end UN sanctions on Iraq so that they could easily buy all the Iraqi oil their cold, black hearts desired if the oil was all that we were interested in. No need for a war.

via Magnolia Report

Pardonnez moi, Monsieur...

But would you, like to buy a used French clock?

via WorldNetDaily

Some Friend

According to a poll featured in the French newspaperLe Monde, only a third of the French people think of themselves as on our side, with another third wishing for the Butcher of Baghdad to prevail, with a final third too busy chomping down on escargot and watching Jerry Lewis movies.

April Fools, Mississippi Style

The Magnolia Report has some good fake headlines, especially this one:

Iraqi Republican Guard force discovered in Kemper County, surrenders to local turkey hunters

Beware of the squirrels...

via The Corner