Saturday, January 31, 2004
"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti."
Truth really is stranger than fiction. The bizarre trial of a German cannibal ended yesterday when a court in Kassel, Germany found him guilty of manslaughter.
As the Times article notes, the cannibal's story both "fascinated and repulsed" people, myself included. What's truly fascinating and repulsing is that, unlike most prosecutions for homicide, the motives of the victim, who allegedly volunteered to be eaten, were more legally relevant to the outcome than the motives of the suspect.
As the Times article notes, the cannibal's story both "fascinated and repulsed" people, myself included. What's truly fascinating and repulsing is that, unlike most prosecutions for homicide, the motives of the victim, who allegedly volunteered to be eaten, were more legally relevant to the outcome than the motives of the suspect.
The Veritable Cornucopia gets called out
Iowa here I come!
Friday, January 30, 2004
Amber waves of grain
create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide
Yes, it seems I have missed much of the "amber waves of grain" and perhaps her "purple mountains' majesty" as well, depending on where said mountains happen to be. I clearly need to get out more.
Moving on
In five short minutes, Howard Bashman links to my grandparents'/my college town's newspaper and tells us he is leaving Buchanan Ingersoll to start his own appellate shop. Best of luck.
Moonies?
So, by now I'm sure that you've heard "Light and Day" by The Polyphonic Spree. (The website is pretty cool. You can play "Breakout" and listen to their music and such.) I think it's been used in that VW Beetle and iPod commercial. It's a pretty, melodic tune that just seems very happy. Now, the real question is whether you've seen the music video for that single. There are two dozen people in the group (including a "cast," which includes a "Seamstress of Life/Grandma") and they are all wearing white robes and are dancing around like maniacs with huge smiles on their faces. Is it just me, or does it look like they're in a cult?
Thursday, January 29, 2004
It's a little early for the sense of impending doom
Ambivalent Imbroglio has recently spruced up his blog a bit. Change is always good, but the countdown until spring semester finals is unnecessary. We're law students here; thinking about exams while it's still January just isn't healthy. But I guess it's nice that I know when they start . . . to the very last second.
This hasn't happened to me . . . yet
Over at Mixtape Marathon, Bekah tells us about an incredible confluence of events, which unfortunately involved cold calling. Ah, the joys of the Socratic method.
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Cheney meets the Pope
According to today's Washington Post, Dick Cheney apparently met with John Paul the deuce. I was trying to figure out which side would be funnier playing the "Weekend at Bernie's" game with their respective icons -- a bunch of Cardinals and "The Apartment" or a group of Energy execu- I mean Deputy Asst. Undersecretaries....??
Though watching the cardinals trip over their robes trying to pull the right strings for "prayer hands" would be funny, watching the Cheney team try to hook up Dick-nocchio to a super-charged diesel in order to fake a cough (to burn as much fossil fuel as possible, of course) would be quite a sight.
Though watching the cardinals trip over their robes trying to pull the right strings for "prayer hands" would be funny, watching the Cheney team try to hook up Dick-nocchio to a super-charged diesel in order to fake a cough (to burn as much fossil fuel as possible, of course) would be quite a sight.
Does it come with the Ann Coulter pink corvette?
A mi parecer points out what will surely be next year's Tickle Me Elmo: the Talking Ann Coulter Action Figure.
First, what do they mean by "action figure"? Can she kick G.I. Joe's ass?
Second, from the looks of it, not only will this doll teach impressionable young children that liberals are the devil, but it will also help girls develop horribly skewed perceptions of how their bodies should look. Maybe Barbie wasn't so bad after all.
First, what do they mean by "action figure"? Can she kick G.I. Joe's ass?
Second, from the looks of it, not only will this doll teach impressionable young children that liberals are the devil, but it will also help girls develop horribly skewed perceptions of how their bodies should look. Maybe Barbie wasn't so bad after all.
Sunday, January 25, 2004
Rock, Paper, Scissors . . . Shoot?
The Sunday Source in today's WaPo features a Rock Paper Scissors Wiz in The Expert section.
I can't say that I've been looking for a competitive game of roshambo (sp?), and definitely not a "money game," but these guys seem pretty serious. They have training programs. They watch game tapes. They have team physicians (what sort of injuries are they planning for?)
I highly recommend the World Rock Paper Scissors Society website. The level of involvement here seems to be bordering on obsession. I leave you with the World RPS Player's Responsibility Code:
The World RPS Player's Responsibility Code
1. Safety First! Always ensure that all players have removed sharp jewellery and watches.
2. Ensure agreement, before the first round, on priming conventions (we recommend the standard 3 prime shoot).
3. Always establish what is to be decided or whether the match is to be played for honour.
4. Pre-determine the number of rounds required to win the match (remember odd numbers only).
5. Encourage novice development by explaining blunders in judgement with a mind towards being helpful. Don't berate.
6. Think twice before using RPS for life-threatening decisions.
7. Always respect foreign cultures. When abroad consider yourself an ambassador of the World RPS Society.
I can't say that I've been looking for a competitive game of roshambo (sp?), and definitely not a "money game," but these guys seem pretty serious. They have training programs. They watch game tapes. They have team physicians (what sort of injuries are they planning for?)
I highly recommend the World Rock Paper Scissors Society website. The level of involvement here seems to be bordering on obsession. I leave you with the World RPS Player's Responsibility Code:
The World RPS Player's Responsibility Code
1. Safety First! Always ensure that all players have removed sharp jewellery and watches.
2. Ensure agreement, before the first round, on priming conventions (we recommend the standard 3 prime shoot).
3. Always establish what is to be decided or whether the match is to be played for honour.
4. Pre-determine the number of rounds required to win the match (remember odd numbers only).
5. Encourage novice development by explaining blunders in judgement with a mind towards being helpful. Don't berate.
6. Think twice before using RPS for life-threatening decisions.
7. Always respect foreign cultures. When abroad consider yourself an ambassador of the World RPS Society.
Saturday, January 24, 2004
Be afraid, be very afraid
CNN reports that former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke is considering running for Congress when he is released from federal prison later this year. You would think that people wouldn't vote for an avowed racist but they do (e.g. Strom Thurmond). Maybe the ex-con thing will keep the voters away. I don't like racists, but I really don't like people who don't pay their taxes.
"Duke, whose telephone privileges are limited, could not be reached for comment."
"Duke, whose telephone privileges are limited, could not be reached for comment."
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
GW Law, one step ahead of HLS
Yup, you heard it here first. Jeremy Blachman reported yesterday that Harvard Law School is opening an ice skating rink. Well, here at GW, we just closed down our own little Winter Wonderland in the law quad. Yes, just last week they installed a portable rink in the law quad and on Saturday, some friends and I braved the elements to take a break and get in some quality time on the ice. Definitely an interesting idea and I can always use a new excuse to procrastinate. I'm sorry to see it go.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
State of the Onion
When I was younger, my dad and I used to watch the State of the Union address on Comedy Central, where it was called the State of the Onion. I miss that.
Lots of things annoyed me during this evening's address, but one of the biggest was Bush's inclusion among our domestic priorities of educating young people about the dangers of sex and sexually transmitted diseases. Of course I think this is a problem, and of course I want to see our nation's youth better educated about sex. My problem is Bush's solution to the problem, a solution I knew was coming: that we spend money (lots of money) teaching kids that “abstinence is the only certain way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.”
It's fine to teach abstinence, but an ad campaign I've seen recently around the District by Catholics for a Free Choice says it best, "Abstinence has a high failure rate." It is simply irresponsible to think that preaching abstinence will have the desired effect. Kids are not going to stop having sex. It's time for the Bush administration to learn that it isn't contradictory to teach both abstinence and safe sex. I'd have to imagine that informing the youth about contraception and distributing condoms would have a much greater impact.
Lots of things annoyed me during this evening's address, but one of the biggest was Bush's inclusion among our domestic priorities of educating young people about the dangers of sex and sexually transmitted diseases. Of course I think this is a problem, and of course I want to see our nation's youth better educated about sex. My problem is Bush's solution to the problem, a solution I knew was coming: that we spend money (lots of money) teaching kids that “abstinence is the only certain way to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.”
It's fine to teach abstinence, but an ad campaign I've seen recently around the District by Catholics for a Free Choice says it best, "Abstinence has a high failure rate." It is simply irresponsible to think that preaching abstinence will have the desired effect. Kids are not going to stop having sex. It's time for the Bush administration to learn that it isn't contradictory to teach both abstinence and safe sex. I'd have to imagine that informing the youth about contraception and distributing condoms would have a much greater impact.
In my absence
I know it's been a while since last time. Though I don't think that really disappointed anyone. Anyway, some interesting notes from our hit counters.
-Someone had our site translated into French. Though I don't know why.
-Two people got here by looking for "gerard houllier phobia." I can't imagine why anyone would have an irrational fear of Liverpool FC's Gallic coach. But it might be the same person who wanted to read about turducken in French.
-Other people who certainly didn't find what they were looking for:
= "pictures of Michelle Wie's mom"
= "GIRL Noosed & Blindfolded" (Hopefully unrelated to the search term above)
= And my personal favorite: "wiseass mormon"
-Someone had our site translated into French. Though I don't know why.
-Two people got here by looking for "gerard houllier phobia." I can't imagine why anyone would have an irrational fear of Liverpool FC's Gallic coach. But it might be the same person who wanted to read about turducken in French.
-Other people who certainly didn't find what they were looking for:
= "pictures of Michelle Wie's mom"
= "GIRL Noosed & Blindfolded" (Hopefully unrelated to the search term above)
= And my personal favorite: "wiseass mormon"
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
More commercials
While I'm on the subject of commercials, I just thought I'd mention how much I like one of ESPN's newer spots. The commercial begins with a shot of a couple making out on the couch, but you can only see their faces. Slowly, the camera pans out and, quite shockingly, one of them is wearing an Ohio State t-shirt while the other is sporting a Michigan t-shirt. The text in the bottom corner simply states: "Without sports, this wouldn't be disgusting."
Brilliant.
I can't find that on ESPN's site, but here's a link to the archive of the "This is SportsCenter" commercials.
Brilliant.
I can't find that on ESPN's site, but here's a link to the archive of the "This is SportsCenter" commercials.
Monday, January 12, 2004
Oh, domino
Contrary to the opinions of most of my friends, I think Miller's "Dominoes" commercial is pretty good. Here's a pretty humorous article from Slate analyzing it.
Sunday, January 11, 2004
AFC Champions
The N.E. Patriots are gods among men. The funny thing is, being an all-Boston sports fan who can barely remember the 80s Celtics, it's hard to realize that the Pats are an amazing team - the best in football. I still think they are the underdogs when they have clearly been the frontrunners since mid-way through this season.
It might just be New England pessimism or the fact that I remember the Pats getting smoked in 1985 against the Bears, and going 1 and 15 for about five years running after that. Who knows?
What I do know is that, though they are the best, it's not because of finesse or showy talent. It's through grit, last-minute heroism, and teamwork. Not the showy players who get all the press. The game against the Titans was a game played the way football should be played. Hard-hitting RBs like George and Smith, who are no-nonsense players. A description of George's character deserves a word that goes beyond tough. McNair is just huge, strong, and makes some incredible plays. Brady has proven himself again and again as a pressure player, getting the job done on 3 and longs and even 4th and longs. The Pats defense has no one outstanding member, but shoots down offenses left and right and comes up with some amazing and timely plays (blocked FG last night).
I just can't say enough about these teams and last night's game. Like I said earlier, it was football the way it should be.
It might just be New England pessimism or the fact that I remember the Pats getting smoked in 1985 against the Bears, and going 1 and 15 for about five years running after that. Who knows?
What I do know is that, though they are the best, it's not because of finesse or showy talent. It's through grit, last-minute heroism, and teamwork. Not the showy players who get all the press. The game against the Titans was a game played the way football should be played. Hard-hitting RBs like George and Smith, who are no-nonsense players. A description of George's character deserves a word that goes beyond tough. McNair is just huge, strong, and makes some incredible plays. Brady has proven himself again and again as a pressure player, getting the job done on 3 and longs and even 4th and longs. The Pats defense has no one outstanding member, but shoots down offenses left and right and comes up with some amazing and timely plays (blocked FG last night).
I just can't say enough about these teams and last night's game. Like I said earlier, it was football the way it should be.
Saturday, January 10, 2004
Law professors trying to make hornbooks more accessible to today's students
The Federal Courts hornbook I am currently paging through has an entire chapter entitled "Abstention and Such." I'm sort of expecting the next chapter to be called "Eleventh Amendment Sovereign Immunity and Whatnot."
If it isn't made correctly, it can cause blindness
This is what we Kentuckians have to offer to the world.
Not exactly "bowl"-ed over by the BCS
Horrible pun and a little late for the college bowl system analysis, but here are eight reasons why the current bowl system needs some work.
1) Georgia Tech
2) played Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl
3) on January 3rd,
4) which was after the USC-Michigan Rose Bowl game,
5) instead of before Christmas (when a bowl game between two unranked teams should be played),
6) and GT beat Tulsa 52-10
7) on a blue artificial turf field
8) that ducks routinely commit suicide on because they think it's water.
Please, give us a playoff.
1) Georgia Tech
2) played Tulsa in the Humanitarian Bowl
3) on January 3rd,
4) which was after the USC-Michigan Rose Bowl game,
5) instead of before Christmas (when a bowl game between two unranked teams should be played),
6) and GT beat Tulsa 52-10
7) on a blue artificial turf field
8) that ducks routinely commit suicide on because they think it's water.
Please, give us a playoff.
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Pete Rose
The debate (or is that debacle?) over the whole Rose-Hall of Fame mess heated up recently with his admission that he did bet on baseball. He made this admission pretty much during the announcement of this year's new members - The Eck and Paul Molitor.
Now, many supporters of Rose's entry to the Hall are reconsidering their support due to his "lack of respect" - a reference to Rose releasing his book where he admits to his gambling at the same time the Hall announcements were made, thus stealing some of the spotlight.
First of all, the best argument for him getting into the Hall was that it was his performance on the field as a player that should count, not off the field incidents, and especially not things that happened years down the line, however disgraceful they may have been. Many have justified their support on this basis of reasoning.
To purport that his apparent "lack of respect" for the Hall last week should be cause for not voting for him, yet his "lack of respect" for the institution of Major League Baseball back when he was managing and betting on baseball doesn't count is simply ridiculous.
Though I love Peter Gammons like a brother (only because of his Red Sox loyalty), shame on him for not realizing how his changed attitude toward Rose is disgustingly asinine and inherently contradictory. Check out any article on ESPN for the last two weeks and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Now, many supporters of Rose's entry to the Hall are reconsidering their support due to his "lack of respect" - a reference to Rose releasing his book where he admits to his gambling at the same time the Hall announcements were made, thus stealing some of the spotlight.
First of all, the best argument for him getting into the Hall was that it was his performance on the field as a player that should count, not off the field incidents, and especially not things that happened years down the line, however disgraceful they may have been. Many have justified their support on this basis of reasoning.
To purport that his apparent "lack of respect" for the Hall last week should be cause for not voting for him, yet his "lack of respect" for the institution of Major League Baseball back when he was managing and betting on baseball doesn't count is simply ridiculous.
Though I love Peter Gammons like a brother (only because of his Red Sox loyalty), shame on him for not realizing how his changed attitude toward Rose is disgustingly asinine and inherently contradictory. Check out any article on ESPN for the last two weeks and you'll see what I'm talking about.
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Fix the leak
Great opinion column in the Post this morning on what will really increase minority representation in higher education: fixing the K-12 education system to raise the percentage of minority students who are actually "college ready."
My two cents: funding public schools with property taxes creates ridiculous inequity between suburban and inner city schools. If you want to fix the leak, you have to fix the system. If we're serious about equal opportunity, then the current school funding structure's shortcomings should be obvious and should be remedied. Options like tax redistribution need to be seriously examined because the kids who go to bad schools are the same kids who live in poverty. I don't think we can do much else to stack the deck against them.
My two cents: funding public schools with property taxes creates ridiculous inequity between suburban and inner city schools. If you want to fix the leak, you have to fix the system. If we're serious about equal opportunity, then the current school funding structure's shortcomings should be obvious and should be remedied. Options like tax redistribution need to be seriously examined because the kids who go to bad schools are the same kids who live in poverty. I don't think we can do much else to stack the deck against them.
I know this might be asking a bit much . . .
But does anyone have any good ideas for a note topic? It really doesn't even need to be good; it just needs to be an idea.
This is a bad omen
(Tried to post this last night. Blogger had other ideas.)
After buying my books for second semester on Sunday I went to my locker to put them away so as to avoid lugging them home. Standing in front of my locker, I realized that I didn't remember my combination. This didn't really worry me though, because these things normally come back to me once I get my hand on the lock.
Well, not so much this time. I thought I had a general idea but it stayed locked. I tried some other combinations. No dice. I looked in my backpack for the sticker with the combination on it. That wasn't there, but the sticker from last year's lock was there.
At this point, I stood in front of my locker for 10 minutes and tried various combinations. Surprisingly, there are a lot of possibilities. Thankfully, a friend was nearby and I eventually threw my stuff in his locker.
I tried again for five minutes this morning and nothing. Having resigned myself to finding a pair of lock cutters after Evidence, I went to class.
Finally, in an effort to put off reading, I tried one last time. After 15 minutes worth of attempts, hundreds of combinations, and a great deal of frustration, the lock opened. And thankfully I remembered the necessary numbers.
I was only gone for two weeks. This doesn't bode well for this semester. Maybe I should write that combination down, just in case I forget it by tomorrow morning.
After buying my books for second semester on Sunday I went to my locker to put them away so as to avoid lugging them home. Standing in front of my locker, I realized that I didn't remember my combination. This didn't really worry me though, because these things normally come back to me once I get my hand on the lock.
Well, not so much this time. I thought I had a general idea but it stayed locked. I tried some other combinations. No dice. I looked in my backpack for the sticker with the combination on it. That wasn't there, but the sticker from last year's lock was there.
At this point, I stood in front of my locker for 10 minutes and tried various combinations. Surprisingly, there are a lot of possibilities. Thankfully, a friend was nearby and I eventually threw my stuff in his locker.
I tried again for five minutes this morning and nothing. Having resigned myself to finding a pair of lock cutters after Evidence, I went to class.
Finally, in an effort to put off reading, I tried one last time. After 15 minutes worth of attempts, hundreds of combinations, and a great deal of frustration, the lock opened. And thankfully I remembered the necessary numbers.
I was only gone for two weeks. This doesn't bode well for this semester. Maybe I should write that combination down, just in case I forget it by tomorrow morning.
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
Diabetes and law school...
So I'm at risk for diabetes, it runs in my family. Every now and then I think about how I should watch sugar intake sooner than later, and at least get in the habit of not eating sugary foods, etc, etc.
But after looking at the results of this last study, I apparently picked a great preventative tool for reducing my risk of having diabetes -- Going to law school. (Well, indirectly).
By attending law school I increased my coffee consumption by about 100-fold. According to this study, all I have to do is drink more than six eight ounce cups of coffee a day to reduce my chance of having diabetes by 30%!
That would leave law students and air traffic controllers as the populations least likely to have diabetes.
After 48 ounces of coffee a day (that's only two of "The Great Ones" for all you Dunkin Donuts fans out there) for the rest of my life, it's going to be so comforting to think that I'm 30% less likely to have diabetes. It'll sure put my mind at ease, especially since I'll be lying in a hospital bed, doped up on anti-stress medication, suffering from severe heart disease, bad breath and nasty teeth from a lifetime of coffee addiction.
Of course, if I drink more wine that heart disease thing will go away. I never knew that Law school would lead me to experiment with so many alternative medicines.
But after looking at the results of this last study, I apparently picked a great preventative tool for reducing my risk of having diabetes -- Going to law school. (Well, indirectly).
By attending law school I increased my coffee consumption by about 100-fold. According to this study, all I have to do is drink more than six eight ounce cups of coffee a day to reduce my chance of having diabetes by 30%!
That would leave law students and air traffic controllers as the populations least likely to have diabetes.
After 48 ounces of coffee a day (that's only two of "The Great Ones" for all you Dunkin Donuts fans out there) for the rest of my life, it's going to be so comforting to think that I'm 30% less likely to have diabetes. It'll sure put my mind at ease, especially since I'll be lying in a hospital bed, doped up on anti-stress medication, suffering from severe heart disease, bad breath and nasty teeth from a lifetime of coffee addiction.
Of course, if I drink more wine that heart disease thing will go away. I never knew that Law school would lead me to experiment with so many alternative medicines.
Monday, January 05, 2004
If I had known..
In another piece of government misinformation, apparently NASA is really attempting to plant giant grapes on the surface of Mars, not collect "scientific information" as they have claimed.
