Blackfaces again?

A fraternity at the University of Tennessee has been suspended for having members attend a party dressed as the Jackson Five with their faces painted black.

My first thought was simply one word, idiots. I'm not necessarily talking about the guys that dressed up in the costumes either. From the UT-Knoxville article:

"Last week's appearance of Kappa Sigma members in blackface was insensitive and offensive to those who work tirelessly to improve the climate of understanding and diversity on campus. This incident is particularly distressing to the members of the University administration because all fraternities and sororities participated in a workshop a year ago to address a similar situation at another institution." - Vice President and Provost Loren Crabtree

So, dressing up in a Halloween costume is offensive. It's not like previous incidents at other schools where individuals showed up with blackfaces and a noose around their neck (which is disgusting). Of course, it's not insensitive or offensive for blacks to paint their faces white. I saw quite a few of this very thing tonight out of the trick-or-treaters AND their parents that came to my door tonight.

On another note, I find it slightly amusing that John Shumaker just can't get away from these type of incidents. He was President at the University of Louisville last year when a fraternity had an OFF-CAMPUS party with two members dressed up as black rappers and a black student dressed as a member of the KKK. Of course, the people that protested this incident didn't even attend the party and at least the group didn't get kicked off campus, though I hardly think they deserved the punishment they received. And in the midst of the incident on our campus last year, I doubt many took the time to think about how the fraternity here had black members.

At least we can take comfort in that Shumaker is keeping with his appease and retreat policy that he had at UofL in his new job as President at UT.

"We made commitments earlier this year to increase funding for the African and African-American Studies program. This will enable us to hire new faculty and offer additional courses. More than a year ago, the University began making plans to launch Africa Semester in January 2003. The semester-long program will celebrate Africa’s cultural, entertainment and educational contributions to non-African cultures around the world. A student-peer training program on race and diversity will be initiated this spring, and a special session on race and diversity will be added to the summer orientation program for new students.

"There is much to be done, but President John Shumaker and I, in concert with the University community, are committed to a climate of civility and multicultural understanding. We seek the involvement of the campus community and public at large in this endeavor." - Vice President and Provost Loren Crabtree

Maybe they should think about teaching people to understand that they may have the right to say almost anything they want, but they do not have the right to not be offended. Especially when it's something that doesn't even warrant a second thought.

Flash Wars Cont. . .

The "democrats" have their newest installment out in the flash war.

New Blog

My girlfriend, Teresa, has her own blog up and running now.

New Blog

My girlfriend, Teresa, has her own blog up and running now.

"Professional" Journalism

Harry Stein writes a piece about the his experience with the "standards" of some "professional journalists".
Recounting a conversation with Lois Norder, the Star-Telegram’s northeast editor

“Fair! Doesn’t the truth of what happened even matter? You guys wanted to stir up a controversy when there wasn’t anything there—and that’s what you did!” She didn’t miss a beat. “As a journalist, you should understand that someone involved in something does not have an unbiased view. You’re seeing it through your filter. Our job is not to see it through any filter.”

So there it was: not only was I (at the very least) racially insensitive; I wasn’t even a serious person. And what was most unsettling, finally, was that the woman probably wasn’t even being cynical. Given her conception of her role as a journalist, she probably didn’t experience a flicker of self-doubt or bad conscience; after all, the P.C. filter through which she sees the world not only presumes that every accusation of bigotry is valid but that anyone who doesn’t toe the liberal line is fair game. Weeks after my speech, someone who was present wrote me a supportive letter. Given the shameful dénouement of the whole episode, he observed, “It is a miracle the story didn’t end up on page one above the fold in the New York Times.”

Via (Instapundit, Romenesko, Media Minded)

Comments fixed. . .

The comments section has been broken for awhile and I've finally got it fixed. Of course, I doubt that will change the amount that I get by all that much.

Yearning to be free

John Cole is wondering why 200 illegal Haitian migrants want to enter this country.

The Memorial Rally

It makes me sad, and sick, to see a memorial service turned into a political rally.

The remembrances turned political when the first of four speakers to talk about Wellstone, campaign treasurer Rick Kahn, took the podium.

"We are going to win this election for Paul Wellstone."

Several times throughout his speech, Kahn begged the Democratic crowd to vote on November fifth to keep Wellstone's legacy alive.

Kahn even called on Republican senators in attendance to stand up in the election's final days and to urge others to keep Wellstone's dreams going forward.

This looks like it might backfire on the "democratic" party in the state though.

Flash Wars Continue

The GOP continues the ongoing flash wars with a new one showing a "democrats" halloween.

This just continues the line of flash ads such as the recent back and forth over Social Security. For links to previous ones go to InstaPundit. Though, this parody of the "democrats" original one is rather funny.

What a lesson "plan"

A weird event, and a lesson for her students, a Texas teacher gave birth in her class.

Earlier that morning, Schafer(the teacher), who also has two sons, had told Mast that she was due in about a week or whenever the baby was ready.

"I guess she got ready this afternoon," Mast said.

The Tears of the Democrats for Paul Wellstone

Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit has an interesting picture that I believe is more telling of the "democratic" party's true nature. They're so broken up over Wellstone's death that I think they're going to make me sick.

Halloween

Teresa and I spent some time tonight making a jack-o'-lantern out of a pumpkin that we bought the other day. It was definatly a fun and I'll post some pictures of it as soon as I get them developed.

UPDATE: Here's an image of the pumpkin still on the carving table.

I say this is a bit more then disgruntled. . .

Several news sources are reporting that a lone gunman shot three people dead at the University of Arizona School of Nursing Monday, and then turned his gun on himself. The current reports are that he was upset about his grades at the Arizona school. Personally, I think there's more to it. Maybe, just maybe, the guy had a couple screws lose.

UPDATE: Clayton Cramer discusses how this campus was a "gun-free zone." And points to a link in the school newspaper saying how this is bad policy.

ACLU & the Ten Commandments

Michael Novak has a good article on NRO.

Why would the ACLU want to cut out of American consciousness the reason why, for a plurality of Americans, respect for civil liberties is a serious, even a sacred duty? Failure to observe is an offense against the Supreme will of God, and answerable on the last day before an undeceivable Judge?

But the second reason why the ACLU is committing suicide runs even deeper. The reason why there is religious liberty, or at least the sole reason given by three crucial Founding documents on the subject — the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Virginia Statute for the Establishment of Religious Liberty, and James Madison's famous and eloquent Remonstrance — is this rare and precious conception: That prior to any obligation to the state, prior even to any obligation to civil society (prior both in time and in degree of importance), is the inalienable communion between the individual and the Creator, to Whom the human being owes a duty precedent to any he owes state or civil society. This duty cannot be fulfilled by any other than each individual, one by one. For each person, it is inalienable.

This inalienable relation between the individual and the Creator is the ground and foundation of the right to religious liberty, and through that first right, of all the other civil rights and liberties. From that human-divine relation emanates the spiritual power of the ACLU.

Check out the whole thing.

The Declaration that Started the Whole Thing

The Louisville Free Public Library will have one of the original Copies of the Declaration of Independance on display this week at the main branch. There will also be an "Opinion Free For All" on October 29th at 7pm. Several UofL professors will be participating including Dr. Paul Weber (Political Science), Dr. Thomas Mackey (History), and Mr. Russell Weaver (Law).

Conway on campus

Jack Conway, the Democrats candidate for the KY Congressional 3rd District, was on campus speaking today. Some of his comments were rather out there. Not it the sense of what he was talking about, but what he was saying.

Personal favorite of the phrases used by him was that he had to "kiss a lot of tail." Hopefully, more on this event later.

Just laugh

From Argus Hamilton: Barbra Streisand issued Democratic Party truth alerts on her website last week in which she identified Saddam Hussein as president of Iran, misquoted Shakespeare and misspelled Dick Gephardt. It's cosmic. In a stunning example of the law of universal compensation, Dan Quayle is free to tell Barbra Streisand jokes.

It just pains my heart

Since the first Abiocor heart transplant was done here in Louisville, I thought this might be interesting to some people around here. Overlawyered.com has links to stories about "a widow of artificial-heart reciepient James Quinn suing the maker of the device, the hospital that performed the procedure, and the person that helped Quinn decide to have the surgery."

Take a look for more.

Ossuary of James

The Wall Street Journal print edition has a good story concerning the recent piece in Biblical Archaeology Review concerning a recently discover ossuary. The bone box had the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus" and has been dated to approximately 63 A.D.

Not that we'll ever probably know if this box really is the final burial place of James, the first bishop of Jerusalem. However, it is a trully amazing find.

Goldberg - Power and Corruption

Jonah Goldberg's article in NRO today is on the relation between power, corruption and the famous quote of Lord Acton. Definately a suggested read.

End to Nuclear Proliferation

John Derbyshire has a good article on North Korea and nuclear weapons over at the National Review Online. He takes time to point out how this is the third time that the U.S. could have prevented a nation obtaining nuclear weapons and if it causes us to do anything, that it should prompt us to act to prevent any other dictatorship from acquiring such devices.

Moved to a new server!

I've moved to a new server. I'll be working out all the kinks of the system over the next few days. In the meantime, if you see something not working, please drop me an email.

Hollywood types

Further proof that a good number in Hollywood live in la la land. Woody Harrelson in the Guardian. I'm sure he's really concerned about everything. I think it's indicative that he says he'd give himself a raise if he was President. Of course, proofing that he doesn't know how the US government works, despite his claim that he does, the President can't give himself a raise. Morons.

Now who's really surprised?

Here's a shocker, North Korea has admited that it has a nuclear weapons program. This is in violation of the agreement that they had with, you guessed it, the Clinton Adminstration. I guess a new front might be opened up against another member of the "axis of evil."

Matt Hoy has a better analysis on this over at his website.

A Human Right

Glenn Reynolds has a piece over at Fox News about how the owning arms should be a human right. In the piece he points out that genocide never occurs against an armed populace.

Stephen Ambrose dead at 66

Popular author and historian Stephen Ambrose is dead at 66.

The Hump

Well, I'm hitting my first hump in law school. I've done so much work related to law school classes with so little somewhere else that I need a break. Thankfully, that has been given to me over the next week. Several of my classes have been cancelled and I have a conference to go to that is entirely non-related to law.

I've been doing a lot of work on my websites lately. I've got the following up or in progress:

http://www.shortdaddy.com/ - My Main Blog http://www.shortdaddy.com/chris/ - This Site http://www.louisvillereview.net/ - Louisville Review: A Little Bit of an attempt at Journalism http://www.uofllaw.com/ - This Site will be about the Law School I attend. http://www.ssac.net/ - My Old Site (Not sure what I'm doing with it. In the process of setting up a new host) and The UofL Federalist Society - Don't have a link yet.

Hopefully, this will take my mind off law school enough where I can focus once again on it in the proper amount. Besides, it's cheaper then therapy.

What are they smoking?

From the group that gave the Nobel Prize to Arafat, they've now given it to Jimmy Carter.

Now, I'm sure some people will be happy about this one, but I hardly think the man should be awarded with such a prize. Anyone that goes to Cuba and says what he does, shouldn't receive this prize. To top it off, he's not that bright. He seems to think that Bush is steping away from unilateral action against Iraq. There's one problem, he hasn't changed his stance. It was NEVER going to be a unilateral attack. After all, Britian is a seperate country. Then there's Spain, Italy, and various other nations that have said they'll support the attack.

For a better article on Carter, check out this piece by Jay Nordlinger on National Review Online.

UPDATE: Another great piece on NRO. Peter Schweizer on Jimmy Carter on National Review Online

More Work on the Site

Yep, I'm not quite done with the site yet. It might have some hiccups in the next few days. Just be patient and all will turn out fine.

Andygoss.com

Well, one of my fraternity brothers has redone his site and started up his own blog. Take a look at andygoss.com.

House signs off on hitting Iraq

The President has won the first domestic battle in forcing Iraq into dismantling its WMD programs with the House approving the Iraq Resolution. A vote of 296-133 approved allowing President Bush to use force to enforce U.N. resolutions and ensure national security.

It appears that the Senate will surely sign on now. The question is will the U.N. step up to the plate with a new Security Council Resolution or will this be the U.S., Britian, and a few other nations going at Saddam's regime on their own.

You're kidding me

Looks like somebody had too much free time on their hands. 17 fired by VDOT for surfing porn sites -- The Washington Times

What surprises me is that someone was fired from a government job.

No to chastity from Miss America Pageant Officials

The Miss America pageant, which is rather vocal about its character requirements for the contestants in their pageants, don't want the current Miss America to talk much about something that directly relates. The Washington Times reports that pageant officials have told Miss America to zip it on teen chastity talk.

Fortunately, for a change, Miss Harold seems to have choosen to ignore the officials.

UPDATE: Looks like the pageant officials are backing down.

Why not to buy used books.

I'm really glad now that I didn't go out and buy used books this semester for law school. Over at collision detection, Clive Thompson has pointed out a study (abstract) that
dumb highlighting can have a negative effect on a person reading it.

Could this explain why some people, that have bought used books, in law school come up with the answers they do in class. Maybe.

Jay Reding has a suggestion on how to use this new, but not so suprising, information.

New Site Design

I've got the new site design up and running. Ended up using a template I found over at BLOG<styles> and modified it quite a bit to make it work for what I wanted to do with the site. Hopefully, I'll be posting more regularly now that I've gotten "use" to law school. Both here and my other site, Chris's Journal.

New Roles

Well, I got back my first "paper" from law school today that had some form of grading on it. It didn't count for a grade of course, that would be too good for me as I actually got in the low B range on the exercise in Torts. But I guess I'll see a grade that counts soon enough.

A bit behind on it, but still worth the read

I missed this one when it was originally published, but definatly worth a read. No-Respect Politics (washingtonpost.com)

Who voted for the U.N.?

A lot of great articles have been popping up on problems with the United Nations. This article, at Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal site, discusses the nature of those governments that make up the U.N.

Small changes here and there

I've been making small and gradual changes throughout the site. I'll hopefully have this site to how I want in within two to three weeks. Law school takes up quite a bit of time.

Law School is a pain

Well, I turned in my first "major" assignment this morning, a closed memo for Basic Legal Skills. I never thought writing could be so stressing as this assignment was in the end. But as soon as I turned it in, I checked my mail only to find a new assignment that's even more involved. I guess it only goes downhill.

Has the U.N.'s time passed?

Jim Bennett writes that it might be time for the U.N. to end. Noticed this over on InstaPundit.

Changes are coming

I'm going to be changing some of the format of this site in the near future. Please excuse any mess that I manage to devolve the site into before it gets stable.

A Change in the Site

I've switched this site to Movable Type and I'm currently in the process of updating the look and feel of it. Come back and see the progress.