Volume 2 Issue 30

March 14, 2003

Game Day Rambilings

Christmas Tree's in Congress, what not to do if you lose your cell phone, and the Iditarod mushes on!

Well, today is March Madness for those of us American University fans and alums out there, who will watch the Eagles try and defeat Holy Cross today for the Patriot League Championship and a ticket to the big dance. While in reality AU is probably a big underdog here (I have been unable to find any betting lines for today, shame on the gambling community!) they are in reality better poised to beat them than last year. Last year, though we were the #1 seed, we had never beaten Holy Cross, losing to them twice during the regular season. This year, we beat them once at home, and on the road came close to beating them again. So...I think it will be a close game, and AU has a chance! ESPN, 4:30pm Eastern, for those of you out there who want to join in. Small conference basketball is actually pretty fun, I think, especially now that the majors are so commercialized.

A quick side topic today though. In all of the coverage about the amazing recovery of Utah teen Elizabeth Smart, I have been struck by the continued fierce statements that her father, Ed Smart, has made about pending national "Amber Alert" legislation. Yesterday again he called on Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin) to pass "stand-alone" legislation, and basically threatened him if he didn't. Of course, the emotion of the day for him I'm sure was a factor, but the way the House operates is indeed perplexing to most Americans, and since the GOP takeover in 1995, it has gotten much worse.

Traditionally, there are always pork projects that are put into legislation, but important legislation is usually done "clean", without any attachments, so that it can be quickly passed, and avoiding the need for a long, drawn out conference with the Senate. In this case, the Senate has already approved an Amber Alert bill, but Sensenbrenner's bill in the House is loaded with extra features, such as additional funding for child exploitation efforts, and tougher sentences for kidnapping and the such. This goes along with the desire to often bundle these things together in one bill, which makes sense, and if this is the case, then good for him. But I get the feeling from Smart's comments that Sensenbrenner has probably thrown in one or two controversial measures too that could hold the bill up in conference. Smart is calling on him to just propose a new bill for Amber Alert alone, and then go back and do the rest of it later. He's also calling for it to happen quickly, which as anyone who knows Congress can tell you, is like asking for sand to turn to glass quicker.

I'm also sure that the congressional committee will try to tack some stuff on to the bill, though the publicity may calm that down. Last week, the House was considering a tax relief package for soldiers, especially reservists, who are stationed overseas. Good idea right? Well, the Ways and Means committee thought so too, and since they knew everyone would vote for it, it became a "Christmas Tree" bill with, all sorts of crap being hung off of it, like tax breaks for tackle box manufacturers, and other such stuff. Eventually, it got so bloated the networks picked up on it, and the Republican leadership had to pull the bill...which means that the soldiers still got screwed.

I know that this is just how Congress works, and 95% of the time, I have no problem with it, that's politics. But for issues of major national importance, shouldn't we just move with the most basic bill, so that it can be signed and implemented quickly? I'm not talking about cutting out dissent, I do think the Patriot Act of 2001 was enacted too quickly, but I'm talking about making legislation more clearer and less cluttered, especially important ones. There are hundreds of cases where unintended consequences have resulted in major policy problems. The recent tax package allows American companies that are dodging taxes by incorporating in Bermuda to have national security contracts...in 1998, an amendment to the student aid programs designed to make any student convicted of a drug offense ineligible for aid ended up making anyone ever convicted of a drug offense ineligible for aid, meaning that even "cleaned up" addicts couldn't go to college. The list goes on and on. I hope Ed Smart gets his bill, and I hope that the GOP leadership pays a price eventually for clogging up government and making it impossible for the average citizen to feel as if anything is getting done. And...I hope that the Democrats are one day better...but that may be asking too much...

Onto the insanity!

AU Gameday Preview: AU's starting point guard, 5'7" Glenn Stokes, is 26, much older than most Seniors, and has followed an interesting route to where he is today -
http://www.washtimes.com/sports/20030314-23743256.htm

Oh crap, the war plan is falling apart...lets go to the tropics! Bush, Blair, and the rest of the war gang will meet in the Azores this weekend to figure out what to do next -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24864-2003Mar14.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2850995.stm

And um...what if Iraq attacks first? Well, at least most opposition would die, I mean if they attack us we have to fight I suppose, even though we provoked them -
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/World/iraq030313_strike.h tml

The Dixie Chicks have come out against the war, saying they're "ashamed" that Bush is from their home state of Texas -
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2003-03-14-dixie-chicks_x.htm

And even though they may be fighting against us...France and Germany still don't really like each other -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/14/international/europe/14GER M.html

The Mother Of All Bombs: More on the MOAB bomb, and where it may be used -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2080106/

And the city of Moab, Utah ain't too pleased to have the largest conventional bomb in the world named after it -
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E6439%257E124 0034%257E,00.html

Kurds and the Turks: Nick Kristof in Turkey on the Kurdish minority there, and how what the Turks have done to them is about the same as Saddam has done to his people. Of course, we don't care about that -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/14/opinion/14KRIS.html (WARNING: Contains graphic descriptions of torture.)

Hell, Democracy is overrated anyway, look where it's gotten us! A State Department report admits that the odds of getting democracy in Iraq after the war are pretty slim -
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/03/14/MN22108.DTL

And the US will support a new Palestinian State...if they oust their democratically elected leader. I guess this is our twice a year half-assed attempt at Mideast peace -
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-US-Mideast.html

Elizabeth Smart: The first day home seemed to go well -
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Mar/03142003/utah/38178.asp

Was the kidnapper a polygamist who took Elizabeth to be a 2nd wife?
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/14/national/14UTAH.html

We know he was a religious freak -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23106-2003Mar13.html

And he may have tried to kidnap Smart's cousin 7 weeks after nabbing her -
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Elizabeth-Smart.html

Smart apparently had many chances to escape...how come she didn't? Brainwashing or Stockholm Syndrome are the two most likely reasons....that an plain old fear -
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/5387752.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/14/national/14SUSP.html
http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030314-68460655.htm

Patty Hearst, who was kidnapped in the 1970's and later robbed a bank with her captors, says Smart will need some recovery time -
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/03/14/national/main54398 0.shtml
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Mar/03142003/utah/38168.asp

Did the police botch the case?
http://www.sltrib.com/2003/Mar/03142003/utah/38182.asp

Ed Smart continues his quest for a national Amber Alert bill. -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/14/politics/14AMBE.html

Justice, American Style? Will Zacarias Moussaoui ever go on trial? Should he? Wouldn't we be better served by getting information out of him? -
http://slate.msn.com/id/2080103/

Malpractice Update: The House yesterday passed a bill to limit liability of doctors in malpractice suits. While some limitations are good on payouts, I think this bill goes a bit too far -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/14/politics/14MED.html

Red Star in Orbit: The Chinese continue their planning for a Fall space launch, and intend to compete against the US. Now, whether we'll compete with them is another matter -
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/14/science/14ASTR.html

Stealing their way into Heaven? Someone sawed off the hand of a statue in St. Peter's Basilica, stealing the hand and the keys it carried, which are supposed to be symbolic of the keys to heaven -
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/03/13/international1446EST0709.DTL

Butt computers is making me smarter, no? A new study has found that people who use Spell Check are more likely to make spelling and grammar mistakes than those who donut. Get it? Donut? :) -
http://abcnews.go.com/wire/US/ap20030314_218.html

It's a Cell Phone. If this happens to you, just buy a new one. Please. Three people died in Kenya after they tried to retrieve a cell phone that had fallen into a latrine. -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2850045.stm

Now that's what I call a "liberal education": A College President in Iowa was arrested for growing pot -
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Central/03/13/college.president.a p/index.html

Just because someone won doesn't mean that it's over! Time for more from Iditarod 31!

News out of Alaska has been tough to get, as the Anchorage area was hit by a major storm packing 100mph winds, which caused extensive damage downtown, and impeded the ability of the press and race to get info out. But they've fixed it now, and the race is still underway! 18 mushers have now crossed the line, and later today, the 19th will cross, Rookie of the Year Jessica Hendricks, will finish almost a day ahead of the other rookies. Over the weekend, the last musher will likely cross, becoming the "Red Lantern" finisher. That musher takes a red lantern and goes to a signal lamp lit at the beginning of the race, and extinguishes it, marking the official end of the race. Coverage Monday here. Here are the standings -
http://www.iditarod.com/2003standings/data/include/details.h tml

More reaction to the Sorlie win -
http://www.adn.com/iditarod/news/story/2767462p-2815852c.html

And of course...a photo of the day -

Um...no, you can't have it in Kroner.

Have a great weekend! Go AU!