The West Wing, R.I.P.
- posted by C @ 6:33:00 PM

It's a long story but...I was reminded tonight of a fantastic piece at Slate.com.

It's a drinking game from the last presidential election cycle, specifically designed for a debate between the Democratic candidates. Hilarious stuff.
- posted by C @ 11:04:00 PM

Last night we saw Munich. Add it to The Constant Gardener and Syriana for a list of films we've seen recently that all make an impression. It is a very intense movie and one whose impact is felt over days rather than during the walk from the theater to the car.

I'd also like to point out that the trailers featured before the start of Munich included three of appeal to me: Thank You For Smoking,
Apocalypto, and Inside Man (starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster, all directed by Spike Lee).
- posted by C @ 3:39:00 PM

Just got home from seeing Munich. Add it to The Constant Gardener and Syriana for a list of films that make an impression. It is a very intense movie and one whose impact is felt over days rather than during the walk from the theater to the car.
- posted by C @ 11:28:00 PM

Edward Lazarus has this piece at FindLaw on the current Administration's view of executive authority. As illustrations, he particularly discusses the recent reports of domestic surveillance.
- posted by C @ 5:11:00 PM

Even White House spokesman Scott McClellan is jumping from the President's sinking ship. Well...sort of.

Taegan's got it.
- posted by C @ 12:46:00 PM

During commercial breaks on ABC, I caught a few minutes of Letterman. It may have been a re-run. Regardless, Dave's guest was my good friend Bill O'Reilly. Dave was firm and, as a result, came across as brutal: anyone who gets in a word with Bill "Shut Up" O'Reilly appears to be rude.

At one point, Letterman said that while he isn't smart enough to debate O'Reilly point for point, he has the feeling that 60 percent of what O'Reilly says "is just crap."

Still waiting for O'Reilly's retort...

UPDATE: Taegan heard it, too, and has a link to video at Newsbusters.
- posted by C @ 12:32:00 AM

Oh yeah...before I forget:

How 'bout that football team from D.C.???

See you on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
- posted by C @ 11:12:00 PM

Although my Paterno post is my first post in a long time, I was re-energized to blog by this post at Washington Monthly.

In it, Steven Benen discusses 10-word definitions of a political platform. Can it be done? If so, what are the Dems' 10 words?
- posted by C @ 11:00:00 PM

Via HowAppealing, Prof. Joseph T. Thai's profile of Justice John Paul Stevens can be downloaded here at SSRN.

Very insightful and only eight pages.
- posted by C @ 10:55:00 PM

Over the summer, I came across a refreshingly casual blog, Begging the Question. Only a few short months later, however, I read a post that I mistakenly thought announced the end of the blog that covered diverse topics such as tex-mex food, rattlesnake hunting, and a blog-era version of the antiquated email-forwarded-surveys called "Friday Spies."

Today, I was shocked to find that the blog had not been retired. Since that realization, I have begun to read the past few months' entries to catch up. I suggest you do the same.
- posted by C @ 10:48:00 PM

I'm posting this with the use of ecto. It's a great relief to have this app working properly again. Much thanks to Adriaan for support/troubleshooting.
- posted by C @ 5:56:00 PM

While it may not be the best of topics to mark re-entry into the blogosphere, I'd like to briefly discuss Penn State football. The impetus is Slate.com's Darren Everson who writes that Penn State coach Joe Paterno should retire.

While I may agree with Everson that he will likely not find a better go-out-on-top moment, his reason -- that JoePa is on the brink of senility -- is disappointing in the least, pitiful at most.

Rather than question the mental acuity of football's Godfather, I would argue that success in college football is measured over the course of three and four years, not one. But for this season's remarkable and admirable success, Penn State's status has slipped dramatically, especially outside the Commonwealth. Another two or three year drought could be fatal to realistic hopes of national competition.

The reason is recruitment. Next year, Penn State recruiters will have the old Penn State cache with a new Penn State packaging. Recruiters working with fresh memories of this season's glory (coinciding with disappointing showings by Big 10 rivals Michigan, Michigan State, and Wisconsin) should have a heyday.

But, if Paterno and Penn State do not see the bigger picture, a coach whose era may have passed him by, this season's success will be a blip on the radar rather than a building storm.

I am not saying that a coach Paterno will necessarily fail next season or the season after that. I do, however, believe that the game continues to evolve -- or, more precisely, devolve -- and I do not sense the propensity to adapt change in the persona of Joe Paterno. I think he alludes to that struggle when he calls himself a "dinosaur." Or, maybe that's a commentary on his glasses.

Personally, I would prefer a return to the era of Paterno's brand of college football. It was an era of off-the-field discipline and team-centered efforts on the field of play. But college football has become a sport dominated by athletic boosters (scandals), equipment endorsements, egregious end-zone celebrations, and sexual assault charges. Faced with declarations of early eligibility for the NFL and players transferring to other schools, a coach like Paterno cannot turn back the clock alone. This struggle -- that of modernity versus tradition -- is what will ultimately trigger JoePa's retirement, not a bigoted comment as Everson suggests.

Others weigh in here and here.

UPDATE: PSU 14, FSU 13 at the half.

UPDATE #2: PSU 16, FSU 16 after OT (PSU kicker misses two short FG attempts)
- posted by C @ 5:46:00 PM

While it may not be the best of topics to mark re-entry into the blogosphere, I'd like to briefly discuss Penn State football. The impetus is Slate.com's Darren Everson who writes that Penn State coach Joe Paterno should retire.

While I may agree with Everson that he will likely not find a better go-out-on-top moment, his reason -- that JoePa is on the brink of senility -- is disappointing in the least, pitiful at most.

Rather than question the mental acuity of football's Godfather, I would argue that success in college football is measured over the course of three and four years, not one. But for this season's remarkable and admirable success, Penn State's status has slipped dramatically, especially outside the Commonwealth. Another two or three year drought could be fatal to realistic hopes of national competition.

The reason is recruitment. Next year, Penn State recruiters will have the old Penn State cache with a new Penn State packaging. Recruiters working with fresh memories of this season's glory (coinciding with disappointing showings by Big 10 rivals Michigan, Michigan State, and Wisconsin) should have a heyday.

But, if Paterno and Penn State do not see the bigger picture, a coach whose era may have passed him by, this season's success will be a blip on the radar rather than a building storm.

I am not saying that a coach Paterno will necessarily fail next season or the season after that. I do, however, believe that the game continues to evolve -- or, more precisely, devolve -- and I do not sense the propensity to adapt change in the persona of Joe Paterno. I think he alludes to that struggle when he calls himself a "dinosaur." Or, maybe that's a commentary on his glasses.

Personally, I would prefer a return to the era of Paterno's brand of college football. It was an era of off-the-field discipline and team-centered efforts on the field of play. But college football has become a sport dominated by athletic boosters (scandals), equipment endorsements, egregious end-zone celebrations, and sexual assault charges. Faced with declarations of early eligibility for the NFL and players transferring to other schools, a coach like Paterno cannot turn back the clock alone. This struggle -- that of modernity versus tradition -- is what will ultimately trigger JoePa's retirement, not a bigoted comment as Everson suggests.

Others weigh in here and here.
- posted by C @ 5:46:00 PM