Is It To Early to Start Dissecting 2008?

Patrick Ruffini has an interesting analogy when analyzing Rudy and/or Condi's chances of snagging the GOP nomination in 2008...

There's no doubt that there a significant number of primary voters, perhaps 15-20%, who are motivated primarily by the life issue. But that doesn't mean they'll necessarily be able to swing anything -- not so long as the movement's idea of a standard-bearer is Alan Keyes or Gary Bauer. The fact is that there are at least as many Republicans who object to McCain on political grounds as do to Rudy and Condi on ideological grounds. Probably the best hope for a pro-life nominee is for someone now at 5% or below to surge -- and that's asking for a lot in notoriously insurgent-averse Republican politics.

But wouldn't pro-life voters abandon the party in droves? I'm not saying this wouldn't be a problem, but I'll bring this up by way of playing devil's advocate: How is this any different than Democrats and the war? In 2004, the Democrats nominated a candidate who voted for the war despite the rank-and-file's overwhelming opposition to it. Anti-war sentiment was at least as prominent among Democrats as pro-life sentiment is among Republicans. And yet, Kerry effectively maxed out his support among the party's base despite a newly-minted anti-war position that was muddled at best. His problem in the general election? He wasn't pro-war enough, and swing voters questioned his ability to follow through on a war he (falsely) claimed not to support. In 2008, Hillary is angling for a position that's even more at odds with her party's base. That doesn't seem to be hurting her.

I don't know that the analogy fits perfectly, as Lorie Byrd at Polipundit noted. I think the Kerry analogy is a stretch, because it would have been difficult to convince anyone, either on the right or on the left or even in the middle, that Kerry would stay the course in Iraq. I think by contrast to both HRC and Kerry, Guiliani and Condi have been pro-choice forever, while Kerry adopted a pro-war stance for his Presidential run (and Hillary still has to convince me that she hasn't done the same).

On the other hand, I think Guiliani in particular can convince some (if not all) pro-life voters to follow him, at least in the general election (especially if he's running against the GOP bogeywoman HRC). I think many conservatives, including pro-lifers, admire Rudy's leadership and his trust him as a man of his word. In the end, the President's impact on the abortion issue is limited to promoting or denying federal funds to abortion providers (here and abroad), and judicial nominations. I think Rudy can be pro-choice while also stating that he will oppose federal funding for abortion services. He can also get out in front on the judicial nomination front by carrying some water for the President in the upcoming confirmation battles.

In the end, I tend to agree with Ruffini that conservatives are more likely to trust the pro-choice Rudy over the pro-life John McCain. And this comes from a conservative who hasn't forgotten Rudy's endorsement of Mario Cuomo over George Pataki in 1994. McCain is firmly pro-life, but he's also more than willing to tack to the middle to win media plaudits for being conciliatory. If Rudy tells the GOP base that he will nominate and fight for conservative appointments to the federal bench, I'd have more faith in him than Senator McCain.

Congress Wastes Some More Cash

As if the steroid hearings weren't enough of an indication that Congress can do a terrific job hemorraghing cash, the Lord of Truth points us to the brilliant P.J. O'Rourke, who tears apart mass transit (and its funding in the latest transportation bill) in his latest missive. A tiny excerpt...

There are just two problems with mass transit. Nobody uses it, and it costs like hell. Only 4% of Americans take public transportation to work. Even in cities they don't do it. Less than 25% of commuters in the New York metropolitan area use public transportation. Elsewhere it's far less--9.5% in San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, 1.8% in Dallas-Fort Worth. As for total travel in urban parts of America--all the comings and goings for work, school, shopping, etc.--1.7 % of those trips are made on mass transit.

Then there is the cost, which is--obviously--$52 billion. Less obviously, there's all the money spent locally keeping local mass transit systems operating. The Heritage Foundation says, "There isn't a single light rail transit system in America in which fares paid by the passengers cover the cost of their own rides." Heritage cites the Minneapolis "Hiawatha" light rail line, soon to be completed with $107 million from the transportation bill. Heritage estimates that the total expense for each ride on the Hiawatha will be $19. Commuting to work will cost $8,550 a year. If the commuter is earning minimum wage, this leaves about $1,000 a year for food, shelter and clothing. Or, if the city picks up the tab, it could have leased a BMW X-5 SUV for the commuter at about the same price.

We don't want minimum-wage workers driving BMW X-5s. That's unfair. They're already poor, and now they're enemies of the environment? So we must find a way to save mass transit--get people to ride it, be eager to pay for it, no matter what the cold-blooded free-market types at Heritage say. We must do it for the sake of future generations, for our children.

What's great about O'Rourke is that he enjoys exploding these myths. Some of his books, notably this one, had me laughing the whole time. It's funny -- most folks in DC take great pride in the Metro, yet many of us barely use it. Maybe it's time more people consider the numbers on what our mass transit systems cost, and whether they're worth it.

Nah. Let's discuss baseball players and steroids.

Kelly's is Back

Feel free to ignore this if you're not a Villanova alum. But I couldn't help but take note of the most important news of the week...

The legendary Kelly's pub of Bryn Mawr reopened to the public on March 9 as Kelly's Restaurant and Taproom after being closed for nearly a decade. The original bar, which stood at the corner of Lancaster Avenue and Roberts Road since the 1940s, was a longtime favorite of University students.

Eugene Mitchell, '89, along with a group of fellow University alumni and local residents, bought the building in an effort to recreate and expand upon the popular bar. "When the opportunity came up to buy the land all of us thought it was a great idea," Mitchell said. "We remember what Kelly's was when we were in college - it was the place to go."

...Many University alumni and former Kelly's patrons, however, are surprised at the reformed watering hole. Bill Sheridan, '76, remembers Kelly's as "a complete dive."

"But when it closed," he added, "it was like the University closing. It was part of your education."

Sheridan and fellow alumnus, Bill Apsey, '76, recall the jukebox, pool tables, cheap Pabst Blue Ribbon beer and frequent raids by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board as inherent parts of their Kelly's memories.

"It was definitely just a college hangout," Apsey said, adding that occasionally professors also stopped by. "Every junior and senior was there every week."

Apsey was especially surprised by the addition of a kitchen. "The nicest food they used to have was a Slim Jim," he said.

But more than anything, alumni remember the Kelly's atmosphere. "It was a place where you would run into everyone you knew," Tim Whitaker, '70, said.

Rev. John Stack, O.S.A., Vice President of Student Life and class of 1971, also frequented Kelly's in his undergraduate days.

Despite differences from the original bar, he anticipates current students taking the new establishment under their wing.

"Students now don't have any recollection of what it used to be like...so if the students decide to frequent it, it will be because of their own experiences," he said. "We don't have a senior bar [near] campus and if run responsibly, it could be a great addition to the social scene."

I don't know if I can get used to the idea of eating dinner at Kelly's. Then again, even if they had served dinner there 10 years ago, I probably would not have noticed.

Playing Hardball

ESPN's steroid hearings scorecard, and the sports day in general, makes me long for my time in college, where I'd cut class on the first day of the tournaament (if I wasn't on spring break anyway) and do nothing all day but watch sports and have a few drinks with some friends. These hearings had to be a hoot. My favorite highlight was this exchange...

Congressman Christopher Shays starts laying into baseball for announcing the new drug policy in January even though the document wasn't completed until March. And the copy that baseball turned into the committee has "drafting errors."

Shays, talking to Manfred: "I think I need to calm down. The commissioner announced this policy in January. And you're telling me that the document wasn't drafted until March? All you do by your answers is make me want to know more and more what the hell you do.

"Then you give us the information and tell us it's a drafting issue. That's unbelievable. Why should somebody have five strikes?"

Selig: "That's the best we could do in collective bargaining."

Shays: "So it's the players' fault?"

Selig: "It's not the players' fault."

Shays: "I want to know why you can break the law once, twice, five times, then you're out. Mr. Fehr?"

Fehr: "We believe in the concept of progressive discipline."

Shays: "Even if you're breaking the law?

"What you're telling the kids is you can break the law four times before you're out of the game. To me, that's amazing. To the commissioner, I don't know why you don't fight for what you want and fight like hell to get it."

Congressmen grandstanding on national TV is pretty damn funny, but it's especially funny when they're ripping guys like Selig and Fehr. I've wanted those guys to face an inquisition since the 1994 strike, and as much as I consider the hearings a waste of time, there's nothing wrong with seeing them get torn apart.

More About That Crazy Harvard Faculty

So it turns out blogging about Harvard is popular. Who knew?

Jokes aside, I wanted to thank Professor Motl for linking to my post. As I noted in the comments to my original post, it's good to know that men like Professor Motl are part of the faculty at the institution and recognize how "sad" this decision was.

In the end, alumni like myself will have a little impact, except to publicly voice our disapproval of this inane and pointless move by the faculty. The Professor made an excellent point when he wrote that "most of the votes supporting the shameful declarations came from humanities and social sciences - especially the people who think that they can determine the scientific truth by a vote (and a couple of politically powerful friends)." Perhaps it's time that the faculty begin to understand that the people whom they taught largely disagree with them.

These are the people who taught all of us during our time in school, and it's not just at Harvard. In most cases, even if we disagreed with outlandish statements they made, we kept our mouths shut. We don't have to do that anymore -- we are well past the point where it has an adverse impact on us if we express our own views. What we generally lack is the time and the means to
do so, but that is changing. This medium provides people like myself an opportunity to express our thoughts, even though I, like most others, lead a very busy life. It also allows us, and dissidents like Professor Motl, an opportunity to broadcast our message far and wide.

I hope, for Harvard's sake, that more people at the school come forward to disown this pathetic act. I'm only a former law student, but I know many alumni of the law school and undergrad who would express agreement with the idea that the faculty's move is beyond the bounds of reason. I enjoyed my three years in law school at HLS (no, I'm not lying) and loved many things about the school. As anyone knows, Harvard University is a terrific academic institution. But acts like this, which deny free inquiry and discussion in a place where it should be fostered and nurtured, will tarnish even the finest reputation.

But What Color Will The Zamboni Be?

It's not hockey is on strike or anything. But the Sabres have found time for a new innovation with their Rochester farm team...

If the ice is colored a soft shade of blue, what does that make hockey's blue lines? Orange of course. Don't adjust your TV sets — the Buffalo Sabres are using Rochester, their AHL farm club, to try out a new colored ice surface that could become the standard once the NHL resumes playing.

The first test comes Sunday, when Rochester plays Cleveland at Buffalo.

"It's an experiment, let's leave it at that," Sabres managing partner Larry Quinn said Tuesday while watching Rochester practice.

Quinn said the test came after NHL officials discussed whether changing the ice color from white would enhance how the game is viewed by fans in arenas and on television.

The Sabres offered to try it and, after some experimentation, settled on painting the sheet in what they call "electric powder blue." To offset the new colored surface, arena officials decided to make the blue lines fluorescent orange, which is also the color used for the faceoff circles.

The center line, normally red, is now dark blue.

Meanwhile, the NHL's books are covered in red ink.

And I'm wondering whether Icehouse will get royalties for someone stealing "electric blue."

We're Not Wild About Harry -- Again

In less than ten days, I head off to Vegas for my bachelor party. So I probably shouldn't be bad-mouthing an esteemed Senator from the state of Nevada.

Granted, I've criticized him before for being too sensitive to criticism. Not to mention his nonsensical ramblings about Clarence Thomas' opinions. But maybe I should give Harry some leeway -- he is adjusting to a new job, after all.

Except that he's acting like an idiot.

Senator Reid, in one of those group photo ops politicians love, assembled 37 fellow Democratic Sentors on the steps of the Capitol today to release a statement condemning the likely GOP move to kill the filibuster of judicial nominees by invoking the procedural exercise known as the "nuclear option." The Southern Partisan and his lovely lady sent me an e-mail about this earlier today, and I knew I'd write about it. Hugh Hewitt has the full text of Reid's statement, which was sufficently stupid that I planned to tear it to shreds. Except that Captain Ed beat me to it...

Reid starts off by completely misinterpreting the intent of the Constitution's framers:

Our Constitution provides for checks and balances so that no one person in power, so that no one political party can hold total control over the course of our nation.

Absolutely untrue, at least in terms of political parties. First, the founders didn't give much thought to parties at all, and they didn't necessarily presume that national politics would evolve into a two-party system. In any case, the Constitution guarantees that no one branch of government will hold total control over the government. If the people choose to elect people of mostly one party for the two electoral branches, then it should be obvious to even Harry Reid that the party will control the two branches.

If any Senator has such a poor understanding of the Constitution, their state should be ashamed to have sent him or her to Washington. That the Senate Democrats made such man their leader either demonstrates their lack of talent or their lack of discretion.

That's just the start, but I recommend reading the rest. I've given up on the idea of expecting an intelligent response from the left, but perhaps we'll hear them when they start screaming once Frist pushes the button.

In the end, the Democrats don't have an argument for the filibuster they've maintained for the last four years. Losing in two consecutive election cycles tends to lead to bitterness, but the inability to acknowledge reality is pathetic. At this rate, if they lost enough seats to give the GOP a filibuster-proof majority, they'd probably claim that the filibuster should be allowed if they have 30 votes.

I'm still going to Vegas. But I hope Senator Reid doesn't join us for dinner -- the last thing I need is someone filibustering dessert.

One More Reason To Be Proud of Being a Villanova Alum

Okay, I think Harvard can cancel the idea of calling me for alumni donations...

Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences passed a no-confidence vote against President Lawrence Summers on Tuesday, the latest setback for the embattled university leader who has come under fire for his managerial style and comments on women in science.

The vote, 218-185, was largely symbolic. The faculty group is one of 10 that comprise the university, and Summers reports to the Harvard Corporation, the university's governing board, which has expressed its support for him.

The unexpected passage of the vote was nonetheless a significant setback to Summers' efforts to rebuild his standing with Harvard's faculty in the wake of the uproar over his comments about women in science at an academic conference in January.

The measure stated simply: "The Faculty lacks confidence in the leadership of Lawrence H. Summers."

...J. Lorand Matory, the anthropology professor who introduced the measure, called on Summers to resign.

"There is no noble alternative to resignation," he said.

Summers is no raging conservative, for those who don't know -- he's the former Treasury Secretary to William Jefferson Clinton, for crying out loud (well, Bill is a Yalie -- maybe that's why they're ticked). But of course, he's in trouble for making comments that have offended the sensibilities of the faculty members last month and before by actually challenging their preconceived ideas about certain things. God forbid someone do that at a university.

Look, I'm only a graduate of the law school, but I'm embarrassed by the undergraduate faculty here. Then again, I'm not really surprised. Powerline sums it up nicely:

Let us now recall the words of the great Willliam F. Buckley Jr.: "I would rather be governed by the first 200 names in the Boston phone book, than by the Harvard faculty." The wisdom of Buckley's statement is proving timeless.

Damn straight. Oops, better watch my language -- the Harvard faculty might lose confidence in me.

The Wedding Update

This wedding update is brought to you by the good folks at Crate & Barrel, who have a piece of the growing wishlist that represents our gift registry...

137 days to go...

Yes, it's been awhile. But I've been busy.

Later this week, we have the second installment of pre-cana classes, which thus far have been food for thought. I'll expound on those at a later time, but let me say this -- it was fun to take a multiple choice exam again where I filled out the bubbles. Yes, I'm a sick young man.

In the meantime, I finished two hours of registry fun on Sunday, which was unique beyond words. Sunday morning at Crate & Barrel, with approximately 30 other engaged couples (or, in a few cases, the bride and some friends). As my married friends have noted, the scanner doohickey (I've always wanted to use that word) was fun for a few minutes. But two hours plus of trying to figure out what we wanted on the registry was hard work. Granted, it would have been far easier if we were registering at Best Buy, but I lost that battle long ago.

I have to give credit where credit is due, though -- the store served food, as well as cake and champagne in a little ceremony at 10 AM. Granted, they're making out like bandits when people register with them, but it's still a nice touch.

I'm not expecting the same joy later this week at Macy's, where I will get to participate in the long-awaited selection of the fine china... which will be used approximately once a year, based on surveys I've done of my married friends. In the meantime, we've also registered on-line (thank you, God) at Pottery Barn, which included the flatware debate. I was chastised for stating that I didn't care what my flatware looked like, as long as it didn't feature Satanic faces on it (and to be truthful, even that wouldn't have been so bad). Apparently, I'm supposed to care deeply about this issue. Yeah, that should happen at about the same time I endorse Hillary Clinton for President. Jokes aside, my fiancee deserves immense credit for putting up with me during this process, although I think deserve some credit for not faking an illness to avoid this task.

In any case, tune in later this week, when we deliver pre-cana analysis, while drinking beer and watching college basketball.

Now there's an original statement.

3.14159265358979323...

You know, I really should have been born today. Pi Day, as it were.

The Corner has full coverage, of course. I'm expecting sales of this product to fly off the shelves.

Please Send Money

Once again, another important e-mail appeal, sent to yours truly...

Dearest,

Kindly allow me the modesty of introducing myself. I am Mr Romila
Kabila,the second son of the former head of state president of Congo-Kinshasha
(then called Zaire) Mr. Laurent Desire Kabila. I am contacting you in order to
ask for your assistance on this confidential Business proposal with
full financial benefit for both of us.Before I go into further details please be
informed that I am writing without any other person(s)pre-knowledge of my
contacting you on this transaction. Therefore I will appreciate same attitude to
be maintained all through. I have the sum of USD14Million from a secret
sale of Diamond by my Father before he was assassinated by one of his body
guard (Rashid) on January 16th 2001, which I will like you to receive on my
behalf due to security reasons, as my narration below will explain. But before
I contin! ue be well informed that your share in this transaction has been calculated at 25% of the total sum of USD$14M,5% for expenses and the rest for my family and me.

My father as a real African traditionalist was a polygamist thereby having married so many wives, and me being the second son of my father, My step brother Joseph, who is the current president of my country,is the son of the first wife and he does not have any knowledge about this deal.

Already president Joseph is using his power to colonize all the money and private property, which my father left behind for the whole family.Now i was left with nothing in the inheritance of my late father wealth.Our situation is seriously critical that we need your assistance to help us receive these funds overseas for proper investment.Let me quickly assure you the 100% safe proof of this transaction because the diamond sales are packaged from the onset in a pattern that shows no direct trace or linkage with us (Kabila family). At present the money is in cash and is secured in a security company as family treasures, as I don't want to deposit the money in a financial institution for fear of the funds being confiscated.

The consignment will be released within seven to (14) days of my being in receipt of your reply via my email address above only for security reasons.

I am waiting for your swift and favorable response, and in case you haveany question(s), do not hesitate to contact me.

PLEASE REPLY THROUGH THIS E-MAIL ADDRESS FOR SECURITY REASONS:(romilakabila@hotmail.com.com).

Best Regards,
Romila Kabila.

I was planning to respond, but figured it would be better to broadcast this appeal far and wide, on the off-chance that his brother Joseph can find out and really add some spice to the proceedings.

Hair, Hair

The Lord of Truth lets us know about one of the hairy issues being confronted by state legislatures...

To hear one side tell it, African hair braiding is an art passed down through generations, a form of expression that shouldn't be hampered by bureaucratic licensing.

The other side argues the practice needs to be regulated so braiders will learn to prevent the spread of scalp diseases.

Now, state lawmakers across the country are trying to untangle the issue. Tennessee state Sen. Steve Cohen filed a bill at the request of a constituent who braids.

"The cosmetologists want to keep the hair braiders down," Cohen charged. "It's not a health and sanitation issue. It's control. It's power."

In Mississippi, however, many cosmetologists say it's unfair to exempt a small group from licensing.

"We are not against braiders," said Charlie Hilliard, president of the Mississippi Independent Beauticians Association. "We are for training."

Arizona, California, Kansas and Maryland already exempt hair braiders from cosmetology licensing, and Michigan has a voluntary licensing system, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Justice, which has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Mississippi's braiding regulations.

Off the top of my head, I tend to agree with the braiders. Why let the government create more problems for the small businessman, who have enough trouble keeping regulators out of their hair?

Yes, these are some of the worst puns ever, but what do you expect from a bald guy?

The Arab Spring Continues

The Cedar Revolution continues...

Hundreds of thousands of Lebanese jammed the center of downtown Beirut today, packing its central square and spilling out onto the surrounding roads, in the largest demonstration yet demanding the withdrawal of all Syrian forces from the country.

Nearly every available space around the square was filled with people flying the Lebanese flag, in what was probably the largest demonstration ever seen in Lebanon.

In the main mosque, still under construction, demonstrators crammed the tiny balconies high up on the four minarets, balconies that the muezzin traditionally use to sing out the call to prayer.

A few daredevils inched their way out along the huge construction crane looming over the square to drape a flag at the end.

There have been rallies in the center of the city on every Monday since former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was killed four Mondays ago, on Feb. 14, but organizers were determined to make this one especially large as an answer the pro-Syrian march last Tuesday that also filled the downtown with hundreds of thousands of mostly Shiite demonstrators.

It's beyond cool to see the people in Middle Eastern countries declaring their desire for freedom and trying to throw off the shackles of tyranny. Even the Hezbollah rally last week were a demonstration of the need to rally popular support to one's cause, even if there are questions regarding the legitimacy of that rally.

Let's forget the debate about whether the U.S. intervention in Iraq deserves credit for inspiring this. We can (and will) debate that another time. Hey, there's still people debating why the Berlin Wall came down over 15 years later. For now, let's simply take a deep breath and marvel at the events taking place, and praise the courage of those pursuing their freedom for taking this step.

In Other News, The Earth Continued To Revolve Around the Sun

The Lord of Truth lets us know about the latest "news" -- something most of recognized while it was taking place...

U.S. media coverage of last year's election was three times more likely to be negative toward President Bush than Democratic challenger John Kerry, according to a study released Monday.

The annual report by a press watchdog that is affiliated with Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism said that 36 percent of stories about Bush were negative compared to 12 percent about Kerry, a Massachusetts senator.

Only 20 percent were positive toward Bush compared to 30 percent of stories about Kerry that were positive, according to the report by the Project for Excellence in Journalism.

...Looking at public perceptions of the media, the report showed that more people thought the media was unfair to both Kerry and Bush than to the candidates four years earlier, but fewer people thought news organizations had too much influence on the outcome of the election.

"It may be that the expectations of the press have sunk enough that they will not sink much further. People are not dismayed by disappointments in the press. They expect them," the authors of the report said.

The study noted a huge rise in audiences for Internet news, particularly for bloggers whose readers jumped by 58 percent in six months to 32 million people.

Of course, journalists will deny that bias had anything to do with the reporting disparity. But the last paragraph demonstrates that the news organizations are being forced to compete with other information sources, which can only be a good thing. Glenn Reynolds may not be as famous today as Dan Rather. But he's got a better shot at being remembered as a pioneer (ala Edward R. Murrow) a generation or two from now.

I'll Still Watch the Daily Show

I suppose this is good news...

NBC "Tonight Show" host Jay Leno can lampoon Michael Jackson's legal woes in his nightly monologue, so long as he doesn't talk about his own personal knowledge of the case, the judge in Jackson's child molestation trial said Friday.

Over the objections of Jackson's defense attorneys, Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Rodney Melville said that a gag order imposed on Leno and other witnesses "would not stop him from comment or telling jokes."

The judge went on to add, "I'd like him to tell good jokes, rather than bad."

Yeah, but we've been waiting for that for about a decade-plus, Your Honor.

Seriously, the monologue's not so bad, but neither Leno nor Letterman have a fastball anywhere close to Carson's. Somebody cue up Conan and get him started early.

The Villanova Update

All right, we're a five seed in the East. I can live with that. And I even like our chances against Florida in the second round.

But we should have had a better seed, if not for the usual refereeing shenanigans Friday night...

The official book will show with the game tied at 76-76, Mike Gansey catching Patrick Beilein's airball underneath the basket and going up once and missing, again and missing, and then a fateful tweet of Pat Driscoll's whistle silencing the Madison Square Garden crowd.

Silencing, that is, until fans wearing Villanova colors realized that the whistle meant a foul. And that the whistle meant with only two-tenths of a second left, Gansey was headed to the line for two shots and needed to hit only one to win the game.

Amid a torrent of boos, the 72 percent free throw shooter sank both and the Mountaineers became the first No. 8 seed to advance to the Big East Tournament final, beating No. 4 seed Villanova, 78-76, ending the Wildcats' winning streak at eight.

... But if Wright were looking to build a case, he'd have plenty of conspiracy-theory ammunition. Driscoll and Villanova have a history that Oliver Stone might like to explore.

In January, Villanova lost a heartbreaker to Georgetown, 66-64, when Curtis Sumpter was called for a foul in a tie ballgame, allowing Darrel Owens to nail the game at the line with 00.1 seconds left. Driscoll whistled the foul.

Last year at the Wachovia Center, when the Wildcats faced UConn, Randy Foye drove the lane twice, once at the end of regulation, once in overtime. Both times, Emeka Okafor went up hard with him. Okafor never got called for a foul. Standing under the basket? Driscoll.

I guess very few people can stop us, save Pat Driscoll. If he shows up to ref a game in the tourney, I'm going to throw up.

In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the prospect of an NCAA berth without Steve Lappas coaching.

Call It Revenge for Shipping Us Celine Dion

Matt Labash pens easily the funniest analysis I've seen of Canada, the Canadian obsession with thumbing their nose at America (politely) and Americans who are heading across the border in droves to get away from our horrific Jesusland. Here's a brief excerpt, but it's worthy of a complete read...

WHENEVER I THINK OF CANADA . . . strike that. I'm an American, therefore I tend not to think of Canada. On the rare occasion when I have considered the country that Fleet Streeters call "The Great White Waste of Time," I've regarded it, as most Americans do, as North America's attic, a mildewy recess that adds little value to the house, but serves as an excellent dead space for stashing Nazi war criminals, drawing-room socialists, and hockey goons.

Henry David Thoreau nicely summed up Americans' indifference toward our country's little buddy when he wrote, "I fear that I have not got much to say about Canada. . . . What I got by going to Canada was a cold." For the most part, Canadians occupy little disk space on our collective hard drive. Not for nothing did MTV have a game show that made contestants identify washed-up celebrities under the category "Dead or Canadian?"

If we have bothered forming opinions at all about Canadians, they've tended toward easy-pickings: that they are a docile, Zamboni-driving people who subsist on seal casserole and Molson. Their hobbies include wearing flannel, obsessing over American hegemony, exporting deadly Mad Cow disease and even deadlier Gordon Lightfoot and Nickelback albums. You can tell a lot about a nation's mediocrity index by learning that they invented synchronized swimming. Even more, by the fact that they're proud of it.

I think my favorite part of the article is when the soon-to-be-expatriate American tells Labash that he's "too f------ tired" to stick around and fight for his vision of this country, when there's a better one 30 miles away. Are we really losing anything, except petulant whiners?