tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63938072024-03-07T14:30:35.554-05:00MaroonBlogBe great in act, as you have been in thought. -- ShakespeareUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1625125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-91304066920019655372010-07-14T20:53:00.001-04:002010-07-14T20:54:32.021-04:00It's been a long time...Marked by many detours and misadventures. But, here I am. And, it feels good to be back.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-16230746075589949592007-08-08T15:25:00.000-04:002007-08-08T16:47:10.214-04:00We're Baaaaack (sort of) - NEW SITE!After a (longer than intended) haitus, I have decided that I will return to blogging regularly. I can't say I haven't missed it, in fact quite the opposite. The reasons for the long absence are many, but sufficed to say I was less than thrilled with the outcome of the midterm elections, and more importantly was feeling the pressures of school and career. <br /><br />But it would only be a surrender of sorts to cease writing when the climate turns sour, and it felt like just that. Moreover, I was beginning to feel like the polarizing nature of an exclusively political blog was preventing me from writing on a wider range of topics that I found both interesting and poignant. The influence of the University of Chicago being what it is, I decided it was time to seek a forum where I could continue to elaborate on politics, while also opining on topics related to law, economics, music and technology, to name a few. Make no mistake - this will still be a largely political forum, but it is the duty of any good citizen to educate himself on a wide range of topics, all of which he may find relevant to life in a political society.<br /><br />That being the stated goal, I am pleased to announce that MaroonBlog is no more - long live <a href = "http://oathofhoratii.blogspot.com">The Horatian Oath</a>! Head on over, and thanks for sticking around - I think you'll like what you find.AWDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191776563911610941noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1163107452444062842006-11-09T15:59:00.000-05:002006-11-09T16:24:12.613-05:00Thoughts on the much-hyped ElectionFirst and foremost, it would be foolish for the Democrats to view this as some sort of victory of their ideological principles (or lack of), rather than what it was: a backlash against Republicans who weren't being Republicans. Examining ballot initiatives, by way of contrast to the candidates elected, reveals a much different story than what is being hyped by the MSM. In Michigan, voters rejected racial preferences in school admissions, while several states passed bans on gay marriage. California, for its part, rejected punitive taxes on oil producers. Yet the tax and spend, free love Democrats control both houses of congress. The meaning of this seemingly contradictory series of events is simple: the American people, more than one party or the other, hate do-nothing politicians. Recently, those Republicans who were swept into, and kept in, office on the principles of small government, fiscal responsibility, strong immigration and national security policies, and morally conscience social policy have descended to the level of their counterparts, by abandoning principle to maintain their place in office. This is what was defeated on Tuesday, nothing more.<br /><br />The Republicans, for their part, need to lick their wounds, clean house, and get down to business. First, its time to remind themselves what got them into power in the first place, and return to it. Congressional republicans must propose sweeping immigration reform during the next term, an issue that is a win-win, with the Democrats either conceding to stronger measures, or risking being labeled early as the party that is soft on security once again. President Bush will have to take a stronger stand on immigration, and start vetoing bloated spending bills. And as for the new Secretary of Defense, its time to stop beating around the bush in Iraq. We need to increase troop levels, maybe dramatically, fire up the bombers, and go on the offensive once again. The "War" in Iraq was a sweeping success. The aftermath, however, has been an ongoing political charade that attempted to placate moderate voters and obstructionist Democrats at the expense of security and American lives. Let's bring this conflict to a close, not by withdrawing but by finishing the job. <br /><br />Democrats did not win on Tuesday - lethargic Republicans lost. And perhaps rightly so. Now, however, the majority is the Democrats to lose, and they likely will. For, while they gained their majority by running on conservative principles, it won't be long before the true colors of Pelosi and Dean shine through, and the American people remember why they booted the party of tax hikes, abortion on demand, and national security waffling out of office in the first place.AWDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191776563911610941noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1162269780208842662006-10-30T23:37:00.000-05:002006-10-30T23:43:00.263-05:00Unsung Stem CellsNot that any of the pundits are paying much attention, but post natal stem cells continue to <A href = "http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=413551&in_page_id=1770&ico=Homepage&icl=TabModule&icc=NEWS&ct=5">lead the way</a> in new health care discoveries and cures (note, that to date, <a href = "http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/treatments.htm">not a single actual cure</a> has come from embryonic stem cells.<br /><blockquote>British scientists have grown the world's first artificial liver from stem cells in a breakthrough that will one day provide entire organs for transplant...Described as a 'Eureka moment' by the Newcastle University researchers, the tissue was created from blood taken from babies' umbilical cords just a <b>few minutes after birth</b>.</blockquote><br />They go on to mention that, while a full grown liver is still in the future, the miniature one is functioning, and will be used as an accurate means to test new drugs. This is revolutionary, and should be rightly heralded as a turning point in the development of safe, ethical medical treatments using non-embryonic stem cells. Somehow, however, I feel like Michal J. may have <A href = "http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek/story?id=2613377&page=2">missed the memo</a>.AWDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191776563911610941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1160077891089959072006-10-05T15:44:00.000-04:002006-10-05T15:51:31.230-04:00The Decline of Western Education?<blockquote>The point of the Western Civilization sequence is to nurture this sense of a living and continuous tradition of the West. That cannot be accomplished by a classicist assigning extra Cicero in a specialized course on ancient history. It can only be accomplished by a sequence of courses that connect Cicero, Machiavelli, and Tocqueville, a sequence taken in common by sufficient numbers of students to spark real discussion and debate, even outside of class. It is this sense of shared tradition that is being lost here, and that is what this debate over Chicago's curriculum changes is really about.</blockquote><br /><br />Stanley Kurtz, over at National Review, <A href = "http://www.nationalreview.com/kurtz/kurtz062702.asp">wrote those words</a> in 2002 about the changes that were made to the Core curriculum here at Chicago, mainly the specialization and decomposition of the Western Civilizations Sequence. Flash forward, and it appears that "Great Books" rival Harvard is taking steps backward on the same front. According to the <a href = "http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/10/05/as_world_changes_so_may_harvard/">Boston Globe</a>, Harvard will be making American History once again a requirement for graduation (a requirement, I must note, that is notably absent here at Chicago). Kurtz is on the topic again, however, and <a href = "http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YmJjYTIwZDU1ZmYxOGJhM2M0YjAzMzNkNGY1M2RkMGU=">he isn't impressed</a>. <br /><br />Personally, I think he is right to be weary of such superficially "conservative" core adjustments, in lieu of more substantial progress, but at the same time I think Conservative academics, in general, need to take their victories where they can. The very emphasis on History at all, albeit still with its faults ("Health Care in the United States: A Comparative Perspective"???), at least opens the possibility of previously unheard discussion and debate on topics that drive the contemporary political debate, and form the basis of American, and Western, Civilization. As the left knows very well, you can't lose a fight your refuse to join. Judging from the student quotes, I'd say this is only the beginning of some needed reform:<br /><blockquote>"It seems to be about fears about the Middle East and the need to learn science so we can create better weapons to maintain American supremacy," said [Jenny] Tsai, a social studies major.</blockquote><br />Putting aside the fact that the proposed changes are in the humanities, not the hard sciences, Tsai unwittingly reveals the sad, partisan state of affairs at Harvard. Let's hope this change is the first of many, for her sake at least.AWDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191776563911610941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1159391577207469942006-09-27T17:10:00.000-04:002006-09-27T17:12:57.260-04:00Say Thanks to the TroopsXerox has a <A href = "http://www.letssaythanks.com/">great site</a> where you can send a free postcard to a soldier stationed overseas, complete with children's artwork and a custom thank you message. It doesn't take any time, and you can do it as often as you want, so check it out. (Hat Tip: Kingdom Heirs)AWDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191776563911610941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1156890427722422212006-08-29T18:27:00.000-04:002006-08-29T18:27:08.180-04:00Fallout Shelter Future<a href="http://www.amazon.com/-Red-Penguin/dp/0140447644/sr=8-1/qid=1156890086/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-9865315-0919320?ie=UTF8">Stendahl</a> wrote a novel about an ambitious young man trying to figure out what career he should follow to achieve his goal of becoming hte next Napoleon. He chose the priesthood as being most suitable for his times.<br /><br /><a href="http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OWU4MDMwNmU5MTI5NGYzN2FmODg5NmYyMWQ4YjM3OTU=">This article</a> makes me think the military will be a method to rapidly rise in rank in the next few decades.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1156518959645602062006-08-25T11:14:00.000-04:002006-08-25T11:15:59.716-04:00Burglary Blogging, and Thoughts on ProfilingWhat better way to break a long absence from the blog than with a whopper of a story, one which poignantly illustrates the complexity of police work, and the need for more common sense in the realm of airport security, and the fight against terror. Living in Southside Chicago, you prepare yourself for all sorts of shenanigans, yet never really expect to find yourself in the situations that grace the cover of the Maroon.<br />When I arrived home yesterday, I noted two individuals carrying a large duffel bag standing at the door to my apartment building, fidgeting with the door. By the time I reached the door, they had it open, so I assumed they had a key, and thought little of it. That is, until I noticed the array of electronics in the duffel bags as they two jogged up the stairs of the building.<br />My suspicion peaked, I entered my downstairs apartment, jettisoned briefcase on-the-fly, and took the back staircase that runs in our building to the second floor apartment, also rented by our fraternity. Much as I had expected, as I entered the kitchen, I could hear voices and the sound of moving property in the front room of the apartment. Returning to my downstairs apartment, adrenaline pumping, I told the only other person home at the time, a small Indian woman, to call the police. Clutching a broomstick in hand (yes, I considered using a fraternity paddle), I paced loudly up the backstairs again, entered the kitchen, and proceeded to make as much noise as possible. Apparently successful in that endeavor, I walked down the hallway, stick in hand, and confronted the two intruders in the living room. <br />Shocked, and clearly more scared than I was, they began quickly emptying the contents of the bags into the floor, and stammering off an explanation for their uninvited, ill intentioned presence in my apartment. I threw open the front door to the apartment, and conveyed my sense of urgency regarding their departure. They hastily agreed. Because of the amount of time they spent jabbering and putting things down, they also hastened themselves right into the arms of Chicago's finest, arriving faster than I would have thought possible. Many long hours later, following myriad police interviews, felony charges resulted, and Harold's fried chicken was deemed in order.<br />Several important lessons came to mind as I sat, waiting, in the gritty waiting room of the 29th and prairie Police station, lessons that sorely warrant repetition in a world so often as backward as our own. First, there is nothing scarier than knowing that someone is in your house, but how anyone can justify the city of Chicago's total ban on firearms is completely beyond me. Nothing multiplies the feeling of helplessness like knowing that all that stands between you and criminal is a hastily wielded dowel. I have no doubt that the result would have been the same, i.e. the expulsion and capture of the perpetrators, but it is undeniable that it would have been both quicker, and safer, for everyone involved had the sound of a round being chambered, not a broomstick cracking, alerted the intruders to my presence. The irony, of course, is that no amount of bans will ever prevent those who break the law, and break into homes, from carrying the very implements I have been denied. Frankly, it's as disgusting a backward, blame the victim policy as exists in America today.<br />That said, the second lesson of the day follows quickly from the first: the focus of our legal system, and certainly our penal system, has drifted far from its moorings indeed. After several hours in the waiting room, one of the officers on the desk chuckled to me "You're still here? Wanna answer the phones or something?" He proceeded to lament what so many have said before: "Sucks to be the victim huh? That's why most crime goes unreported." Indeed. I've blogged on the failures of our penal system before, but I have no doubt that my two interlocutors will be getting a first hand introduction very soon.<br />The third, and perhaps most important lesson, is that profiling saves lives. If you don't like it, aren't comfortable with it, I understand, but I will remind you again the next time you are the victim of a crime. As the arresting officer pointed out sometime later, the only reason they were able to catch the suspects, who had exited the building and were fleeing when they arrived, was because of the terse "two black males" description. It does not bode well that I would not have been comfortable calling the TSA in this situation. Those on the left who simultaneously wish to treat terrorism as a law enforcement tool, while also denying the very tools of law enforcement to those who prosecute the war on terror, are living in a dream. As soon as al Qaeda starts using vacationing families from Nebraska to blow up planes, I suppose it will no longer apply, but for now I believe the single biggest boost for airport security, bar none, would be to do away with the idiotic and wasteful random searches, and focus on the demographics that are known to be terrorists. Simply, and logically, put: Not all Arabs are terrorists, but all terrorists that have thus far attacked the US are Arab. And while not all blacks are criminals, by far, it was only the recognition of the simple fact that all criminals residing in my apartment were black that lead to their capture. Simple lessons, but costly to learn.AWDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191776563911610941noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1153411189133166432006-07-20T11:59:00.000-04:002006-07-20T11:59:49.673-04:00Quote of the Day<blockquote>Only a crisis - actual or perceived - produces real change. When that crisis occurs, the actions that are taken depend on the ideas that are lying around. That, I believe, is our basic function: to develop alternatives to existing policies, to keep them alive and available until the politically impossible becomes the politically inevitable.</blockquote>--<a href="http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=YzliMTAyYmNiN2EyYWZmOTViMDYyYWFjN2E3YTlmYTg=">Milton Friedman</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1153408000234404202006-07-20T10:05:00.000-04:002006-07-20T11:09:18.946-04:00Moving the Stem Cell Goal PostsOnce again, the President has reminded me why I voted for him, summarizing nicely the backward behavior of the minority of Congressmen, and explaining his <A HREF = "http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ODVlZWQwYzViMWVhMTRkODhiOTI4NmU1YzJlNmVlNmU=">opposition the stem cell bill</a>:<br /><blockquote>It makes no sense to say that you're in favor of finding cures for terrible diseases as quickly as possible, and then block a bill that would authorize funding for promising and ethical stem cell research. At a moment when ethical alternatives are becoming available, we cannot lose the opportunity to conduct research that would give hope to those suffering from terrible diseases, and help move our nation beyond the current controversies over embryonic stem cell research.<br /></Blockquote><br />The most aggravating feature of this debate is how much it has been an argument about the wrong things. To begin with, there's a lot of talk of the "potential medical miracles" that are being quashed by this veto. Give me a break. Those proponents of embryonic stem cell research speak of one set of potential recipients as victims, while opponents rightly point out that the embryos are the victims themselves, not those who are afflicted by a disease that they would have whether or not the bill passed. Stopping that avenue of research doesn't suddenly make leukemia <i>more</i> fatal, or cause scores of citizens to suddenly contract alzheimer's. It will make a lot of human beings suddenly dead; just not the ones who can vote yet. <br />Perhaps more disappointing, and troublesome in the long-run, is the way in which"stem cell" has become synonymous with "embryonic stem cell." While embryonic stem cell research may hold possibilities, the truth is that <A HREF = "http://www.stemcellresearch.org/facts/treatments.htm">the only substantive developments to this point have come from non-embryonic stem cells</a>. In fact,embryonic stem cells have yet to yield a single treatment, therapy or cure. That's right: 0. Not only do adult stem cells hold the same potential as embryonic, as demonstrated by a <a href= "http://www.21stcenturysciencetech.com/articles/winter01/stem_cell.html">2001 study</a>, but they are already being utilized, and have been for some time. Research on grown and/or altered brain cells to <A href = "http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=950DE7D71130F936A25752C1A96F948260">treat Parkinson's</a> began in the 80's, and bone marrow cells have been for decades. Proponents of this bill, who pull at the heart strings of grieving relatives and kind-hearted Americans, would have you believe that this research is irrelevant, or non-existent. To do so is to truly overshadow the "medical miracles" all around us.AWDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191776563911610941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1153280726843274112006-07-18T23:45:00.000-04:002006-07-18T23:45:27.320-04:00I think I've seen this movieBeware the <a href="http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060717/NEWS02/607170317/1009">giant yellow jacket nests</a>...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1152669728201979582006-07-11T22:01:00.000-04:002006-07-11T22:02:08.203-04:00Thank you, Bill Clinton et al.<a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/defense/3319656.html?page=5&c=y">Chinese espionage</a> threatens the arsenal of democracy...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1152669612830912322006-07-11T21:51:00.001-04:002006-07-11T22:00:12.916-04:00Our Own "German Ideology"?Explain to me how this <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-stegall_02edi.ART0.State.Edition1.24b8ed0.html">intoxicating swill</a> is any different than the raw emotion that <a href="http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/german-ideology/index.htm">Marx</a> appealed to?--it says all of the right things rhetorically, given its targeted audience, but makes no points at all on what a successful incarnation of it would appear to be in reality.<br /><br />That piece is the work of a poet, and not a philosopher. It speaks some important truths, but it also intoxicates the reader with emotion removed from reason. Since the author seems to not follow up with reason and wisdom, he is thus a dangerous fool.<br /><br />Even though Plato was being sarcastic when he had all the poets expelled from Socrates' Republic, he was making a very valid point with that sarcasm. Poets are dangerous. Especially this variety, that talk of truths without considering them with reason.<br /><br />I sincerely hope that such unhinged populism does not take off in this country. That will be the true road to the death of our Republic and the return of tyranny.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1152669605425175142006-07-11T21:51:00.000-04:002006-07-11T22:00:05.576-04:00Our Own "German Ideology"?Explain to me how this <a href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-stegall_02edi.ART0.State.Edition1.24b8ed0.html">intoxicating swill</a> is any different than the raw emotion that <a href="http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1845/german-ideology/index.htm">Marx</a> appealed to?--it says all of the right things rhetorically, given its targeted audience, but makes no points at all on what a successful incarnation of it would appear to be in reality.<br /><br />That piece is the work of a poet, and not a philosopher. It speaks some important truths, but it also intoxicates the reader with emotion removed from reason. Since the author seems to not follow up with reason and wisdom, he is thus a dangerous fool.<br /><br />Even though Plato was being sarcastic when he had all the poets expelled from Socrates' Republic, he was making a very valid point with that sarcasm. Poets are dangerous. Especially this variety, that talk of truths without considering them with reason.<br /><br />I sincerely hope that such unhinged populism does not take off in this country. That will be the true road to the death of our Republic and the return of tyranny.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1152653795759353652006-07-11T17:35:00.000-04:002006-07-11T17:36:35.846-04:00Headline of the Day<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6393807">Rumsfeld as Rambo?</a><br /><br />It's even funnier if you imagine his grin being caused by his savoring the deaths of our enemies (not very far-fetched at all, I think).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1152626282657023752006-07-11T11:10:00.000-04:002006-07-11T15:06:34.126-04:00Bombings in India (Refresh for updates)[Update: Thoughts] The death toll continues to rise, and as the numbers come in I think most people realize the scope and importance of this attack. Islamic terror is a global phenomenon, and no matter how much many on the left would like to pretend otherwise, President Bush and the Iraq war didn't invent it, and running out of Iraq and Afghanistan like we did Mogadishu won't solve anything. In fact, India doesn't even have troops in Iraq, a situation that we had recently been trying to change, and I now imagine will change rather easily. India is an important ally, and how they respond to this attack will speak volumes about their commitment to both defeating terror, and burgeoning conflicts in the region that may soon reqire their attention. This is only the latest tragic strike in a struggle against an ideologu so polarly opposite from our own that we must eradicate it completely or face our own demise at the hands exploding trains and hijacked airliners. It is tragic that events like this take place, and I hope that, if anything, it will remind Indians and Americans alike of the stakes of our present endeavor, and the further strengthen our resolve to see out this fight. <br /><br />Elsewhere, I wonder if I'm the only one who gets the sick joke: the date is 7/11... and the bombings are in India. While a distinctly American connection, I wonder if it was intentional, or if the date simply reflects a fascination with the 11th. Go figure, Joe Biden. If it didn't hurt before, it sure will now.<br /><br />[Update 1:33 CST] FoxNews reports the <a href = "http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,202920,00.html">new death toll at 147</a>, and says that Indian authorities are seeking the "terrorists" responsible. No surprise there, but I am intrigued by the TV report that they have a suspect in custody.<br /><br />[Update 1:20 CST] Things seemed to have calmed down a bit, and updates will come only as relevant information becomes available. Casualty numbers have converged around 135 dead, 250+ wounded, which appears to be on the low end of the possible, given how clogged the train system is. As to who is responsible, there are no claims yet <br />"But suspicion was likely to center on Muslim militants fighting New Delhi's rule in disputed Kashmir, who have been blamed for several bomb attacks in India in the past. " (From Reuters)<br /><br />[Update 11:13 CST] CNN has <A HREF = "http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/world/2006/07/11/doane.mumbai.blasts.reut">Video</a><br /><br />[Update 11:10 CST] SkyNews has reported that <A HREF = "http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1227365,00.html">more than 130 are dead</a>, and they have some pictures up as well. Updates will be spotty until around 1:00 PM CST, due to meetings. Check back for continued updates.<br /><br /><center><img src = "http://static.sky.com/images/pictures/1425389.jpg"></Center><br /><br />[Update 10:44 CST] FoxNews reports Indian authorities <a href = "http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,202920,00.html">had warning of an attack</a>: "The Indian home minister said on Indian television that authorities had information of an attack but did not know when or where it was to occur...Police were also reportedly carrying out raids across the country following the explosions, presumably in search of suspects."<br /><br />[Update 10:40 CST] Some thoughts: How will this effect the fragile, but recently calm, India/Pakistan relations? Undoubtedly it will strain relations, but it remains to be seen where the blame lies for the attacks. A Pakistan connection could spark a regional conflagration. Also, will this compel India, previously not a factor, to apply pressure to North Korea, Russia and/or China, responding to new found security concerns? While seemingly unrelated, it doesn't seem out of the question, given India's proximity. <br /><br />[Update 10:25 CST]The attacks came shortly after the confirmed <A HREF = "http://www.ndtv.com/template/template.asp?template=Ceasefire&slug=Grenade+attacks+rock+Srinagar%2C+8+killed&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;id=19792&callid=0&category=National">Kashmir Jihadi attacks in Sringar</a>... they are assumed to be correlated, but no solid information yet... from the amount of damage done to the rail cars, the explosives would have to have been high powered, not the dinky work of a spontaneous amateur attack...this appears to have been carefully planned and executed, especially in light of the earlier attack and the simultaneous nature of the attacks... Indias's transportation grid is a mess anyway, and roads/trains etc. are jammed all over according to the new blog <a href = "http://mumbaihelp.blogspot.com/">http://mumbaihelp.blogspot.com/</a>... more to come, and please comment any relevant links or information...<br /><br />[Update 10:00 CST] Horrific... Reuters is reporting <A HREF = "http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-07-11T145213Z_01_BOM159421_RTRUKOC_0_US-INDIA-BLASTS-TOLL.xml">over 100 dead</a> (number is 104 as confirmed so far by police), and they have a few unlinkable pictures of the torn trains...<br /><br />[Update 9:40 CST] Pajamas Media is reporting that CNN has <A HREf = "http://pajamasmedia.com/2006/07/mumbai_blasts.php">upped the death toll to 40</a>. Meanwhile FoxNews finally has a <A HREF = "http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,202920,00.html">full story up</a>, but they are lagging apparently. They still quote local news numbers, with 15 dead and 70+ wounded. Still no news on Al-Qaeda/ Kashmiri influence...<br /><br />[Update 9:36 CST] Reuters is now saying <a href = "http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-07-11T142805Z_01_SP141887_RTRUKOC_0_US-INDIA-BLAST-1.xml">over 30 dead</a>, but the toll is unknown and is sure to rise<br /><br />[Update 9:25 CST]From the <A HREF = "http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/11/AR2006071100330.html">WAPO</a>: "India's CNN-IBN television news, which had a reporter traveling on the train, said the blast took place in a first-class car as the train was moving, ripping through the compartment and killing more than a dozen people...Another CNN-IBN reporter said he had seen more than 20 bodies at one Bombay hospital."<br /><br />There are reports of bodies sprawled on tracks, and scores of walking wounded (still no pictures beyond screen captures)<br /><br /><br />[Update 9:15 CST] The only pictures so far are from CNN, and they're bad screen captures from Inian TV. See Below:<br /><a href="http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/07/11/mumbai.blasts/newt1.india.01.cnnibn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/07/11/mumbai.blasts/newt1.india.01.cnnibn.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><a href="http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/07/11/mumbai.blasts/story.mumbai.blast.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px;" src="http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/07/11/mumbai.blasts/story.mumbai.blast.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />[Update 9:10 CST] Nobody seems to be sure exactly how many explosions<br />have taken place: AP <A HREF = "http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INDIA_TRAIN_EXPLOSION?SITE=KTVK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT">reports 7</a>, CNN is <A HREF = "http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/07/11/mumbai.blasts/index.html">saying 6</a> and Reuters has <A HREF = "http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-07-11T140730Z_01_DEL188533_RTRUKOC_0_US-INDIA-BLASTS-DEAD.xml">at least 4</a><br /><br />[Update 8:57 CST] Reuters has a <A HREf = "http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=newsOne&storyID=2006-07-11T134342Z_01_SP150445_RTRUKOC_0_US-INDIA-BLAST-SUBURBS.xml">map of the site</a>, and some quotes, but no pictures yet... still no word on responsibility, cause, etc.<br /><br />[Update] Fox News has some <A href = "http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,202920,00.html">information</a> up, <br /><br /><br />CNN is reporting 6 explosions at train stations in Mumbai... I believe there were reports some time ago that India had recieved threats... stay tuned for updates<strong></strong>[Update 9:15 CST] The only pictures so far are from CNN, and they're bad screen captures from Inian TV. See Below:AWDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191776563911610941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1152547002868489852006-07-10T11:13:00.000-04:002006-07-10T14:38:26.760-04:00The sound of settlingWhile I usually defer to Jason's somewhat consistent ability to post a quote of the day, after reading Matthew Scully's <A href = "http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=N2I1NjZkYTk1MmJmNDRiNzBkNWE0NjZmOWJiMWY0NzU=">critique</a> of <i>stare decisis</i> I couldn't help myself. He writes, concerning "the Constitution's knock and announce requirement." :<br /><blockquote>This requirement was found hiding in the Fourth Amendment in 1995, still panting heavily from a 206-year chase in which it had eluded legal minds before then. </Blockquote><br />The stinging sarcasm of this brilliant line of prose aside, the recent trend of activists judges to pack nonsensical, imaginary clauses into the constitution like Microsoft bloat-ware is hedging on dangerous. Last week's decision to afford constitutional rights to non-citizens, and de-facto treaty status with al-Qaeda, in <a href = "http://fl1.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/tribunals/hamdanrums110804opn.pdf">Hamdan v. Rumsfeld</a>(pdf warning) comes immediately to mind, but it is only the latest in a string of decisions that have expanded the role and scope of the constitution.<br /><br />Who can forget 2003, when the Court ruled that Brown v. Board, and constitutional equal protection, do not apply in <A href = "http://library.findlaw.com/2003/Aug/15/133007.html">"narrowly tailored situations</a>, effectively keeping alive overt racial discrimination in college admissions. Later that year, reversing the 1986 <i>Bower's v. Hardwick</i>,the court ruled that <a href = "http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/06/26/scotus.sodomy/">the constitution allows for the sanctity of the bedroom</a>, a decision that Scalia sharply criticized as the court "departing from its role in assuring, as neutral observer, that the democratic rules of engagement are observed." Indeed, the supreme court seems much less concerned with insuring the constitution is adhered to, and much more interested in forcing the constitution to adhere to a given agenda. <br /><br />Tracing the phenomenon of the "magical, growing bill of rights" to <i>Roe v. Wade</i>, the classic example, it's easy to glean the origins of modern judicial activism in the so-called "implied right to privacy." Taking the Constitution in the context of the American Revolution, which was amusingly sparked over taxes and gun-control, it's not hard to see why the founders designated some areas as off-limits to government. But even an extremely careful, dare I say liberal, reading of the Constitution reveals that the only enumerated rights to so-called privacy appear in the realms of religion, firearm ownership, consenting search and seizure, public speech and private thought. And while it is tempting to pretend that the 4th and 5th amendments protect all manner of activities, the document clearly reads otherwise:<br /><blockquote>The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against <b>unreasonable searches and seizures</b>, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.<br />(emphasis, clearly, is mine)</blockquote><br />As Justice Scalia rightly points out, it is left to other branches of government to determine what constitutes reasonable cause for crossing this threshold. The constitution makes no suggestion that some other, unenumerated realms of personal behaviour are simply off-limits to scrutiny <em>entirely</em>. The kinds of blanket protections issued by rulings such as <i>Lawrence</i>, and the profound social costs of absurd contentions like <i>Hudson v. Michigan</i>, are exactly the sorts of judicial over-stepping that were meant to be avoided by the constitution. Checks and balances, Mr. Kennedy, work both ways. The whole thing leaves me wondering: at what point will the constitution render itself ineffective by virtue of an implied right to disregard implied constitutional rights?AWDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191776563911610941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1152404301350248012006-07-08T20:15:00.000-04:002006-07-08T20:52:13.116-04:00US Economy BoomsApparently the US economy, over the last 11 quarters, has, at the high end, grown by <a href="http://instapundit.com/archives/031307.php">50% of the total size of the Chinese economy</a> (both measured by GDP). Not bad, and better than what happened under Clinton. Yet, the press doesn't seem to be writing the hyperbole it did only a short 6 or 7 years ago. Odd, isn't it?<br /><br />UPDATE: Also, the <a href="http://althouse.blogspot.com/2006/07/long-term-prognosis-is-still-very-very.html">Federal Deficit</a> is decreasing dramatically, and should be down to 2.5% of GDP by the end of this year. That's a nice healthy level of deficit (especially if you remember at the end of WWII the Federal Deficit was 30%+ of GDP).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1152308889430579722006-07-07T17:48:00.000-04:002006-07-07T17:48:09.846-04:00Why Europe isn't cold and Labrador isThe <a href="http://www.americanscientist.org/template/AssetDetail/assetid/51963?fulltext=true&print=yes">real story.</a> And no, the answer is not the Gulf Stream like everyone thinks.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1152238158884528582006-07-06T22:09:00.000-04:002006-07-06T22:09:19.420-04:00Quote of the Day<blockquote>It’s probably better to have him inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in.</blockquote>--<a href="http://www.bartleby.com/63/17/4617.html">Lyndon B Johnson</a>, in reference to J Edgar Hoover.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1152154480447794842006-07-05T22:54:00.000-04:002006-07-05T22:54:41.680-04:00What's So Great About America?<a href="http://www.taemag.com/issues/articleID.19267/article_detail.asp">Dinesh D'Souza</a> offers a few answers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1152126859800435172006-07-05T15:10:00.000-04:002006-07-05T17:45:09.636-04:00Freedom, Liberty and Iraqi BaseballI suppose it's a disappointing critique that I have to ask at all, but has it finally gone out of fashion for (almost) grown men to cry in public? Not that it matters much, since I'm fairly confident that I was among the large minority at Wrigley Field anyway, by virtue of my wearing a shirt with a collar (now there's a sight: someone at the game other than the shortstop who has his shirt tucked in). Monday nights being half-price, and the promise of fireworks without the requisite 6 hour commute on public transportation being too good to pass up, I hustled out of work a few minutes early, hopped on the Red Line, and found myself watching my childhood favorite Orioles embarrass the hometown Whitesox.<br /><br />I imagine that something as simple and commonplace as a Major League Baseball game must be astonishing to a first-time observer, particularly one who doesn't come from the background of commonplace excess and supersized proportions. A lot of thought is given on the Fourth of July to the immigrant experience, and more generally to the many pleasures, small and large, that we as Americans enjoy, and certainly baseball is mentioned in many of them. That we take it for granted is natural, there are more than 150 games in any season, and most Americans will attend at least one in their lifetime. Perhaps the miracle of this country is that we can be so aloof in the presence of such feats of engineering as sports stadiums, so un-astonished that we routinely gather in numbers nearing 6 digits and no one is trampled, or knocked off by an IDE or a stray round. Baseball will need a while before it gets a real foothold in Iraq, I would imagine.<br /><br />Far off in Iraq, probably with fireworks of a different sort, it's likely that the soldiers and sailors commemorated the 4th in their own way (for whatever reason, Chicago did their celebrating on the 3rd, but the point remains). It is a perplexing place to be I imagine, a soldier in combat on such a day. Perhaps it is a reminder of why you fight, but I can't imagine they need much of a refresher course. It's a shame the same can't be said for the people for whom they fight. <A HREF = "http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-mehlman/jingo_b_24347.html">Pete Mehlman</a>, pontificating about the coming construction of the "Freedom Tower" in New York, makes the absurd comment that "New York already has a Statue of Liberty. Liberty, freedom - synonyms, no?" I must object, and upon further reflection, adamantly so. The very essence of this war, what makes it both unique and imperative, is the distinction of the two. Paul Hartman <a href = "http://www.naciente.com/essay36.htm">writes</a> that <br /><blockquote>"Freedoms are things that people EXTRACT from their government; Liberty is less derivative, more formative; a thing GRANTED by the people to the people in common...Freedoms end when they encounter a contrary freedom of another person. You are free to smoke, until you encounter my freedom not to inhale your smoke. Liberty lacks that distinction: my liberty never contradicts or limits yours."</blockquote><br />In our War against terror we are dealing with an adversary who is hell bent not only on destroying the freedoms that define our modern way of life, but more fundamentally on destroying the sense of liberties that make such a way of life possible. Baseball games, with their raging drunks and scantily clad female fans, must certainly enrage Osama types, but not nearly as much as the idea that this is not only a part of our culture, but commonplace, accepted, and occasionally celebrated. To paraphrase, shamelessly, I realize this is elementary stuff, but sometimes it needs to be said.<br /><br />The outcome of Sox game was a welcome surprise, being a Baltimore fan at heart, and the post-game pyrotechnics were surprisingly well put together, complete with a slew of patriotic tunes. The combination proved remarkably moving, at least for me. I am occasionally surprised by the sorts of events that can trigger memories of September 11th, or a surge of pride for our troops, and unleash a well-spring of entropic emotion. The rockets did glare that night, much to our collective delight in the stands, but the backdrop only served to remind me, yet again, that in a conflict with terrorists of such a foreign state of mind, we are in many ways living on borrowed time. That men and women are dying every day to stave off the next tragedy, or to prevent it all together, seems somehow larger than life, yet it is the very essence of liberty and freedom diverging once again. They forego many freedoms afforded to Americans, and are subjected to terrible conditions, arduous endeavors, torture or worse. Yet the liberty with which they are instilled, the fundamental human liberty that is uniquely recognized in the founding documents of our country, can never be taken from them. In fact, it seems to shine all the brighter as they trudge into the unforgiving dark, knowing all the while that we are behind them, albeit some distance away, seeing only the glow of the rockets and the distant thunder. And it is that which I celebrate on July 4th, and which admittedly still causes at least one grown man to cry. <br /><br />Happy Fourth of July.AWDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02191776563911610941noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1151985260709559072006-07-03T23:54:00.000-04:002006-07-03T23:54:21.883-04:00This is awesome.The <a href="http://contracafe.com/">conservative's answer</a> to fair-trade coffee.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1151968588442875392006-07-03T19:16:00.000-04:002006-07-03T19:16:28.443-04:00A Congressman in the knowTed Stevens of Alaska has some <a href="http://blog.wired.com/27BStroke6/index.blog?entry_id=1512499">cogent thoughts</a> on how the Internet works. Who would have guessed...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6393807.post-1151968456009261152006-07-03T19:14:00.000-04:002006-07-03T19:14:16.066-04:00Superman and AmericaThe difficult, never-ending <a href="http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=063006I">burdens of power</a>...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0