The
Latest
I have suspended
blogging for this Web site, since as noted above
I am blogging regularly at the Spectator.
Also, look for regular blogging from me at The
Locker Room. Archived posts there
can be found doing an
author search under my name.
Maybe
we could buy more useless forest with the
proceeds
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 22, 2006
Alabama sold a
life-sized statue of Smokey the Bear at a surplus auction.
Surely North Carolina could get rid of a lot more
of their crap than they do. Anyone want to start
the bidding on the Global TransPark?
Amount
due: $1.00
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 21, 2006
Several public
officials who went on the Tall Ships ferry boat
party cruise have paid for their
share of the cost of the trip, The
News & Observer reports today, but it looks like one
of them had a little trouble doing the math. The
state estimated the cost per person for the
cruise was $91.25. Some, like Republican Rep.
Bill Daughtridge and Democrat Rep. Russell
Tucker, obviously calculated for two and paid
$182.50. But Democrat Rep. Margaret Dickson's
calculator apparently failed her: she paid
$181.50.
Corruption
has consequences, sometimes fatal
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 21, 2006
Marvin Olasky
today has
an "Enlightening" story about how dastardly
decisions due to corruption can have severe
consequences. God forbid that something like that
should happen here, but chances are it already has.
Shaw's
status endangered
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 20, 2006
If Keith
Ellison, the "Minnesota Muslim" running
for Congress in that state's 5th District, wins
as expected, he will become the nation's highest
ranking elected follower of Islam -- surpassing
North Carolina State Sen. Larry Shaw.
Cursed
infrastructure
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 18, 2006
Did you know
that North Carolina has 5,250 dams? And that
among the 22 percent of the 5,250 dams in North
Carolina classified as a high hazard, only one in
five had an emergency action plan attached them?
And that "high hazard" means that there
would be significant loss of life and property
downstream should the dam fail?
(Expletive)!
Build
it, and they will come?
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 18, 2006
We (my wife and
I) have been watching a medical building (for
dental offices) go up behind our nearby CVS for
months now, and it has seemed to take for-ev-er
to finish it off.
Now
I understand why.
It
goes to eleven
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 12, 2006
I found this
"Top Eleven" list on the MySpace site
of one of last year's Governor's School West students, which I've
written about extensively. Nothing super funny --
a lot of "the food is bad" jokes --
just some revealing insights. Edited for typos.
Top 11 Signs That You're a GSW Student
1. You're not sure what the brown mush you ate
for lunch was, and to be honest, you don't want
to talk about it.
2. You're completely surrounded by liberals who
complain about how they expected there to be more
liberals.
3. Everyone around you is an individualist...but
they're all wearing the same flip-flops.
4. You've memorized the phone numbers of ten
different take-out places for fear that if you
didn't, you'd starve.
5. In one day, you met a lesbian, hippie, nudist,
and a Baptist.
6. You've been here a week and already worn out
three pairs of flip-flops.
7. It's cooler lying on the pavement at noon than
being in your room.
8. You've ordered pizza more than you've eaten in
the Refectory.
9. There are people on your hall who, despite
their best efforts, still haven't had a shower.
10. You think Svi Shapiro is the most brillant man
on the planet and now worship him as a god.
11. You think Svi Shapiro was sent by the Devil
to ruin your way of life and corrupt those around
you.
A
danger to Washington?
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 9, 2006
Contrary to what
most people think, Democrat Heath Shuler does
have a track record that Republican Rep.
Charles Taylor, whom the former Redskins
quarterback is challenging in the N.C. 11th
District race, can run against:
Jason Woodmansee.
That
snappish dog
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 8, 2006
Rhode Island
Sen. Lincoln Chafee's sudden
new "hold" on the nomination of
John Bolton as permanent U.N. ambassador reminds
me of that not-so-charming "feisty
quality" that the Ocean State has about it
-- which
I wrote about for The News & Observer
three years ago.
How
American dummies succeed
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 6, 2006
Robert J.
Samuelson, citing Charlotte's Central Piedmont
Community College as one example, explores
this question in his Washington Post
column today: "With about 12
million students, the nation's 1,200 community
colleges help answer this riddle: Why do
Americans do so badly on international
educational comparisons and yet support an
advanced economy?"
His answer, in a nutshell, is that the free
market pushes the workforce where it's needed.
The American
learning system has, I think, two big
virtues.
First, it provides second chances. It tries
to teach people when they're motivated to
learn -- which isn't always when they're in
high school or starting college. People
become motivated later for many reasons,
including maturity, marriage, mortgages and
crummy jobs. These people aren't shut out.
They can mix work, school and training....
Second, it's job-oriented. Community colleges
provide training for local firms and offer
courses to satisfy market needs.
Lots more common sense therein.
Hands
off the Constitution
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 5, 2006
J. Harvie
Wilkinson, a judge on the 4th Circuit Court of
Appeals who is always mentioned as a candidate by
conservatives when a Supreme Court vacancy opens,
writes
interestingly (and sometimes persuasively) today in The Washington
Post against a federal constitutional
amendment that would ban same-sex marriages.
Proponents
of the amendment say that states need
protection from activist judges in other
jurisdictions, but states already have this
protection through the Defense of Marriage
Act and public policy defenses allowed under
the full faith and credit clause. As a
result, a constitutional amendment is at most
a backstop for powers that states possess
without any congressional action at all.
There is no greater need for such a
constitutional backstop here than there is
for a constitutional amendment bolstering
states' authority to pass a sales tax,
establish a transportation department or
support public education.
It's a consistent argument with those who
advocate that Roe v. Wade was an
abominable decision that should have been left to
the individual states.
We're
so over it
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 4, 2006
The
Washington Times reports that Patrick Henry
College -- the "homeschool" university
-- has
gotten past last year's split over academic
freedom
and is "ready to start fresh."
Erik
Root,
formerly of the Locke Foundation's Center for Local
Innovation and now research
director for the N.C. Family Policy Council, was identified as the
instigator of what became a one-third faculty
revolt at Patrick Henry.
10:30 a.m. Update, clarification from Erik:
"13 of 22 professors left last year (more
than 50 percent, apparently including
part-timers). The issue was bigger than me and I
was not the instigator. I was the occasion why
many faculty stood up and said enough. There were
problems LONG before the debacle over me."
The Washington Post in May also
gave an account of the controversy at Patrick Henry.
Corrupt
Bastards Club
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
September 2, 2006
No evidence that
there is an organized chapter in North Carolina
(yet), but the FBI just
raided one in Alaska, where several
legislators are apparent members -- including the
son of Mr. "Bridge to Nowhere," U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens.
Abstinence
evasion
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 31, 2006
The American
Spectator Online today has my piece up today defending
the president's AIDS program in Africa. Probably not
a libertarian's cup o' tea, and truth be told,
I'd prefer no government involvement. But the
point is that if this is what the government is
going to do, then the president's way is
preferable to the U.N.'s.
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 30, 2006
Mr. "Bridge
to Nowhere" is the senator who's had a hold on the bill that would create a
searchable database of all federal contracts and
grants.
Pork-like
flavor
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 25, 2006
Doug Bandow, on
a trip to Burma and Thailand, shares
the fruits of his research into the tastiness of
certain foreign delicacies.
Climate
scientists 'scratching their heads'
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 25, 2006
Pat Michaels
today on American Spectator Online explains
why, contrary to predictions, the oceans are
losing their heat.
Conventional wisdom debunked again.
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 24, 2006
...and word is
that he's not too happy about it.
Give
Clinton credit
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 23, 2006
Bill, that is.
The Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector says in The
Washington Post today that the former
president deserves
more credit than he gets from conservatives for
the success of welfare reform.
New
front on immigration battle
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 23, 2006
Businesses are
suing competitors who hire illegal aliens because it puts them at
a disadvantage.
Lean
budgets with pork?
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 22, 2006
The
Washington Times today begins an occasional
series which will apparently cover various races
for the U.S. Senate, and starts with the
Pennsylvania contest between incumbent Republican
Rick Santorum and his challenger, Democrat Robert
Casey, who currently leads polls. Perhaps a bit
surprisingly (but justifiably), this story comes
off (to me) as unflattering to Santorum,
emphasizing the decisions he's made that are less
than conservative:
Typical of
his campaigning these days was a stop earlier
this month at the Pittsburgh Zoo, where he
boasted to local reporters about how he'd
fetched $500,000 from federal taxpayers to
build one of the most luxurious polar-bear
exhibits outside Arctic climes.
"They're building underwater tunnels so
you're actually under water," Mr.
Santorum told his awe-struck children as they
toured the construction site and approached a
tunnel of 4-inchglass that will allow zoo
visitors to view the bears from below.
After the zoo event, Mr. Santorum was asked
whether funding for the polar-bear exhibit
really was all that important, given the
federal government's hemorrhaging debt,
looming financial crisis in entitlement
programs and expensive emergencies, such as
the war in Iraq and rebuilding after
Hurricane Katrina.
"If the pot of money is there, I'm going
to make sure we get a piece of that
money," said Mr. Santorum, who defended
his record of support for "lean"
budgets.
That's the wrong answer for some of his
longtime supporters.
"Where does the federal government get
the constitutional right to take $500,000
from people to build a polar-bear
exhibit?" asked Charlie Clift, who has
supported Mr. Santorum in every past
election.
Hal
of Pancakes
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 18, 2006
Jim Black's
challenger, Hal Jordan, visited
an IHOP too yesterday.
'World
Trade Center'
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 17, 2006
"World
Trade Center" is probably one of the most
pro-family films ever.
Some of the reviews I have read were critical of
the emphasis of too many scenes in which family
members are shown fretting over the fate of their
trapped loved ones. They likened it to nothing
more than another made-for-TV "Movie of the
Week." But Stone uses those scenes to build
to the most important message he delivers in the
film: That family commitment, support and unity
can save lives. That may sound hokey to some, but
I defy anyone to not be moved when Nicholas
Cage's character sees his wife (played by Maria
Bello) for the first time after he is brought to
the hospital.
Add to that the demands made by the Cage
character's youngest son to his mother, and a
number of flashback scenes that alone don't seem
significant but together are meaningful, Stone
builds a powerful case that by virtue of their
commitment to one another, these families were as
heroic as those brave souls who were involved in
the rescue efforts.
How
about a Saturday rally in the parking lot?
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 17, 2006
Talk about dumb
-- the New York Times reports that one
Democratic campaign strategy is
to run against Wal-Mart.
Conspiracy
theory
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 11, 2006
Do you think the
Bush
administration waited until after
Joe Lieberman lost in his Connecticut
primary on Tuesday to authorize the
foiling of the terrorists' plot to blow up the
airplanes? Waiting to do so would have given
anti-war candidate (and ultimate victor) Ned
Lamont the advantage, allowed Lieberman to go
Independent, and hopefully (for Republicans) in
the final results (after November) reduce the
Democrats' number in the Senate by one.
If it's not there already, watch for this theory
to emerge on a liberal blog somewhere.
Why
are some athletes such clutch performers?
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 9, 2006
Answer: Because
at those crucial moments, they
are somewhere else.
Everywhere
is freaks and hairies
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
August 2, 2006
I'd love to
change the world of newspapers, especially when
they publish
drivel.
Please
don't feed the homeless
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 28, 2006
It's
illegal.
Immigration
ordinance creates ghost town
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 28, 2006
Riverside, N.J.,
on Wednesday night passed
the Illegal Immigration Relief Act, which "makes it
illegal to hire people who cannot prove they are
legally in the United States, or to rent or lease
them property." Fines start at $1,000 per
offense, and a violator also could lose his or
her business permit for five years.
Before
Brazilian immigrants began moving here in the
last five years or so, (Celeste) Martiniano
(a restaurant owner) said, the downtown
business district, once a bustling shopping
area, had been in decline. But of the new
ordinance, she said, “this is going to kill
the town.”
For the last 25 years, Ms. Martiniano has
lived in this Burlington County town of 8,000
residents, where as many as 2,000 to 3,000
immigrants live today. Business has been good
since the opening of her restaurant two years
ago, largely because of the growing Brazilian
population. But on this day, there were no
takers for the chicken legs spinning on spits
over open flames.
She shouldn't worry. Subsidies, incentives, TIFs,
economic development groups, non-profits -- oh,
and politicians -- are always there to pick up
the slack.
In
their back pocket
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 28, 2006
The New York
Times says the climatologist voice crying in
the wilderness -- Pat Michaels -- is
being paid by the coal-burning
utilities! He can't possibly be objective, of
course, because big business is funding the
publicity of his views. Meanwhile the well-funded
global warming alarmists benefit from the those
whose motives are pure and honest. Right?
The
real tab
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 27, 2006
Public spending
on the Tall Ships festival: $2
million.
Running
but not running
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 27, 2006
Lewis Cheek's
name will be on the ballot, but he's
not going to campaign against Durham D.A. Mike
Nifong.
Time
to go name some more cows
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 27, 2006
Mr. Disclosure, House Speaker Pro
Tempore Richard Morgan, has
gotten religion on keeping the public
informed about the actions of legislators,
campaigns, and especially "527"
political groups.
"They
no longer believe that people like you and me
working together can help them solve the
problems that they face," said Morgan,
R-Moore, in what may be his final substantive
speech on the floor after eight terms in
office. "They don't trust us to be
honest."
No truth to the report that a dramatic silence
momentarily fell over the floor of the General
Assembly upon the completion of Morgan's eloquent
and heartfelt monologue. Nor is it true that
legislators afterward streamed to makeshift
confessionals outside the chambers to repent en
masse from their once-hidden sins.
But corks were heard a-poppin' upon adjournment!
Off to Thee Dollhouse for the final hoo-ha!
CBS
eye runny
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 27, 2006
The firm that
helped create the Swift Boat Veterans' campaign
against John Kerry in 2004, and also hammered the
“60 Minutes II” report on President Bush’s
record in the Texas Air National Guard that led
to Dan Rather’s resignation, is promoting
Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center."
You
don't have to look far
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 27, 2006
There are plenty
of places Washington Post sage columnist
David Broder could have gone to find a
conservative who is outraged with President Bush.
But instead -- and I can't believe his editors
let him do this -- he
banged out a whole column explaining the
"Simmering Rage Within the GOP" based
almost entirely on a single, faux-conservative
who is upset that the stem-cell bill was vetoed
and that the minimum wage hasn't been raised.
And to top it off, Broder doesn't identify him!
He further (un)identifies that "simmering
rage" by citing unattributed comments of
frustration at Lyn Nofziger's funeral in the
spring.
His finishing touch is to reveal the glee among
Republicans over Ralph Reed's primary loss for
lieutenant governor in Georgia. Broder portrays
that as some vindication for
"conservatives" who are allegedly
resentful toward the "religious right,"
of which Reed was supposedly a beloved member.
But conservative Christians dismissed Reed as one
of their own long ago.
Broder's journalism here fails basic standards
and arrives at deeply flawed conclusions to boot.
He should know better
Sweet
Home Alabama, third from the bottom
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 27, 2006
Former NBA star
Charles Barkley is
thinking about running for governor in his home state of
Alabama. Once a Republican, he now says he would
run as a Democrat.
In Barkley's
remarks in Destin, he was not complimentary
of Alabama's past leadership.
"If it wasn't for Arkansas and
Mississippi, we'd be dead last in everything.
I think we can do better," he said.
And he's sounding like Bill Cosby.
Barkley told
the school board members that poor children
don't have a level playing field with
wealthier students, because the poor children
have to cope with more problems like crime,
drugs and teen pregnancy. But he also
admonished some black parents and their
children.
"There are too many black kids and their
parents who do not value a good
education," he said. "There are
places where a black kid who is a good
student and tries to speak correctly, you
hear stuff like, 'He's trying to be white.'
Well, I say, if that's true, we need more
kids trying to be white."
Powerful
restraint
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 27, 2006
Washington
(State) Supreme Justice Barbara Madsen included
a remarkable remark in writing the opinion
for the majority while upholding (barely) a ban
on same-sex marriage in the state:
"The
solid body of constitutional law disfavors
the conclusion that there is a right to marry
a person of the same sex. Same-sex marriage
may be the law at a future time, but it will
be because the people declare it to be, not
because five members of this court have
dictated it."
She obviously doesn't know the opportunity for a
good power grab when she sees one.
Find
someplace else to frolic
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 27, 2006
The cruel,
callous management of Carr Mill Mall in Carrboro wants
Bruce Thomas to take his dance act elsewhere:
In the yard
of Weaver Street Market in downtown Carrboro,
the slim, lithe dancing man seemed more
iconic; he was a representation of the
creativity that the town boasts as its most
stunning asset.
When Thomas feels the groove, there's nothing
that can stop him from shimmying, skipping
and two-stepping his way among the co-op's
outdoor patrons.
"That is a common area for the entire
Carr Mill Mall," explained Carr Mill
Manager Nathan Milian. "We don't allow
performers to use the lawn without our
permission."
"Our property is commercial,"
Milian said. "There are plenty of public
areas -- the town commons, the farmers market
-- where he can express himself."
But some patrons who like Thomas's gyrations are
calling his removal "discrimination."
"It's a
combination of creative movements,"
Thomas said. "I call it 'Dancing for the
glory of God.'"
If it's for the glory of God, then the ACLU isn't
going to let him dance on the town commons
either.
Amorello's
tough decision
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 27, 2006
The chief of
Boston's farcical Big Dig project finally gave in
and resigned.
Matthew
Amorello's resignation will be effective
August 15, but he will continue to receive
his $223,000 annual salary through February
15.
That's teaching him!
Woody
at 70
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 26, 2006
For a lifetime
Woody Allen, despite his limited box office
appeal, has been indulged by studios with broad
creative freedom (if not budgetary freedom) and
widespread critical acclaim, whether earned or
not. Many of the world's greatest actors have
worked for him for peanuts. He just enjoyed the
release of his most popular work in years,
"Match Point."
But he's
bummed
about his age. Why? For one reason, he's too old
to chase skirts.
"Once
you get up in years, like seventies, there's
nothing good about it. The dynamite women you
see on the street, that world is gone to you.
"You know, it's inappropriate," he
mutters, as though he's about to think better
of discussing this. "One of the great
pastimes of my life was eyeing girls in short
skirts, and that's gone. They're unavailable
to you, and in the few cases where you could
work your magic, it's to no practical avail
because you can't plan a future if you're 70
and she's 22. So your flirtation life goes,
which is a big part of everybody's enjoyment
in life."
Explains a lot about that Soon-Yi Previn thing.
And there's more godlessness, deep depression and
hopelessness in this Washington Post
interview.
Yep,
she's nuts
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 26, 2006
A jury in the
retrial of Andrea Yates today found
her not guilty by reason of insanity:
The jury had
spent 11 hours Monday and Tuesday trying to
determine if Yates was legally insane.
Wednesday morning, they reviewed the state's
definition of insanity and then asked to see
a family photo and candid pictures of the
five smiling youngsters. After about an hour
of deliberations, they said they had reached
a verdict.
So they looked at the picture, looked at the
definition, and decided she was out of her mind?
There does have to be something wrong -- either
insanity or the presence of Satan himself -- in
order for someone to kill her five children.
In
New York, of all places
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 26, 2006
A redevelopment
agency created to help rebuild part of New York
City after the World Trade Center was destroyed says
its work is almost done, and will soon fade into
non-existence.
Stefan
Pryor, the president of the (Lower Manhattan
Development Corporation) and its first
employee, said its role as a planning and
financing body was always intended to be
temporary. “The greatest accomplishment of a
public agency such as ours is to successfully
work itself out of existence,” he said.
How often do you see that, so willfully? Never here, that I know of.
Wishing
well
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 25, 2006
David Bauder,
The Associated Press's media reporter, says Fox
News' public relations is
a contact sport. He's right and they're
funny.
Even
better than Condi
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 25, 2006
In an interview
with a clearly liberal reporter from Der
Spiegel, Israel's foreign minister Tzipi
Livni provides
a clear, no-nonsense defense for her country's
military actions in Lebanon:
SPIEGEL:
What is the goal of the military action?
Tzipi Livni: It's not only about the goal of
the military action but about the demands of
the international community that we
explicitly share. They are: there must be a
government and an army in Lebanon. There can
no longer be militias and terrorist
organizations such as Hezbollah. Hezbollah
must be completely disarmed. They should no
longer have the ability to be armed by Syria
and Iran. In southern Lebanon there can be no
more Hezbollah bases. The Lebanese army must
be stationed there in its place. The global
community a while ago demanded that the
Lebanese government fulfill its
responsibilities. It hasn't yet done so.
SPIEGEL: The complicated political situation
in Lebanon makes the Lebanese government
extremely weak. How can they be held fully
responsible for Hezbollah's violent acts
under these conditions?
Livni: Whether weak or strong, a government
carries the responsibility for whatever
happens within its country. We are currently
considering the question of whether we must
strengthen the Lebanese government from the
outside so that it would be able to fulfill
its responsibilities.
More kick-a-- comments therein.
Naming
rights
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 24, 2006
Rock
expert Drew
Cline,
writing for American Spectator, thinks the
"Big Dig" needs
a new name.
One
street, two names
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 24, 2006
Friday it
was misheard lyrics; today it's
misspelled signs, in a N&O
story about how some streets in the area are
marked with grammatically challenged posts
("Russling Leaf" not "Rustling
Leaf", etc.)
I have a
contribution to the list from my own
neighborhood. On one corner of a nearby street
the name is "Zachary Way." At the next
corner it's "Zackary Way." I still
don't know which is correct, but I assume it's
the former.
Nuptials
not necessary in NC
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 20, 2006
You
may cohabit now.
Throwback
to Hollywood's Golden Age
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 20, 2006
He gives away
too much of the story, but Cal
Thomas says Oliver Stone's
"World Trade Center" is "one of
the greatest pro-American, pro-family, pro-faith,
pro-male, flag-waving, God Bless America films
you will ever see."
Yes, that Oliver Stone.
'Ashamed
to be French'
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 20, 2006
It's not who
you might think (are those really her
teeth?) or for the reasons
you might think.
I'm
going to blog this blog about bloggers
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 20, 2006
All you ever
wanted to know about
the blogosphere.
By the way, did you ever notice it only takes one
mis-typed letter and they become booggers?
World
Court judges
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 19, 2006
For anyone
suffering "American Idol" withdrawal,
the show's panelists have taken
on a summer project.
MS,
food and guns don't mix
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 19, 2006
Sad
story.
Zoning
for Bible classes
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 18, 2006
A D.C.-area
megachurch is
suing Fairfax County, Va., so it can continue to
hold classes on Christianity. The county says
McLean Bible Church must get permission to
operate as a college.
Drinkin'
buddies and the earth's rotation
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 14, 2006
Why NASA's major
sites are
located in hurricane-prone areas.
Surprise,
surprise
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 13, 2006
The U.N.
Security Council has weighed
in against Israel in the current outbreak
of war. Thank God for U.S. veto power.
Tell me again why we have any respect for, or
participation in, this abominable organization?
One
reason unemployment will never be zero
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 12, 2006
Because of
people like Corey
Branch.
We
all want to change the world
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 7, 2006
Wonder how
today's New York Times might have covered
the American Revolution? Former Carolina
Journal editor Drew Cline has
some ideas.
Lighting
and lotteries
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
July 7, 2006
Some say you are
as likely to win the lottery as you are to get
struck by lightning. But what are the odds of getting
hit by both?
Not
grudgingly
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 28, 2006
In response to John Hood's column today, even God doesn't believe in
coercive contributions (2 Corinthians 9:7).
Dollars
for Dollar
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 25, 2006
"God
will make you rich" televangelist Creflo Dollar drew
thousands
to the RBC Center this weekend.
Governor's
School update
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 23, 2006
After being
threatened with legal action yesterday by the Alliance
Defense Fund, a deputy attorney
general who handles affairs for the Department of
Public Instruction told the organization that "American History
X"
would not be shown at Governor's School West last night.
Need
a homophobe? I'm your man
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 22, 2006
In response to
my CJ Exclusive today on the latest
developments with the Governor's School, I've
been pegged by
liberal blog Web site BlueNC as the Locke
Foundation's resident homophobe.
Odd that the blogger alleged that I wrote "a
whole column about" the "horrors"
of "American History X." I addressed
the showing of the movie in a whole two
paragraphs, while the majority of the story
addressed how the Department of Public
Instruction failed in fulfilling a promise to a
parent.
Those
incentives work wonders again
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 22, 2006
$305,000
to move 25 miles.
How
hot is it?
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 22, 2006
"The
earth is running a fever."
20
years ago today...
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 19, 2006
...Len Bias died
on this date, and here is my own story (from 5 years ago)
related to that horrible event.
Does
smart growth = Democrat victories?
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 16, 2006
The real
reason
liberals like density.
Newt
the fantasist?
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 15, 2006
Bob Tyrrell of The
American Spectator explains why Newt Gingrich, who will speak at a John
Locke Foundation luncheon in Charlotte on June 29,
bears a remarkable -- but inferior -- likeness to
former nemesis/President Bill Clinton.
Lighthouse
or rocket ship?
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 15, 2006
Answer: neither.
'Cars'
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 12, 2006
The newest Pixar
release suffers from the studio's own standard of
excellence that they have set. In other words, it
isn't up to their own snuff.
That's not to say that I think it was bad. It was
visually dazzling, as expected. There were the
usual group of likable characters (Larry the
Cable Guy as "Tow-Mater" was my
favorite, and probably most others'), drawn from
society's familiar stereotypes. The story
entertained.
But I wasn't as endeared to the characters as in
previous Pixar films. I didn't wholly buy into
the premise of motor vehicles having their own
souls, identities, and self-wills, devoid of
humanity. Perhaps that aspect of the story needed
some kind of help to enable viewers to believe in
the personalities of the cars -- a fantasy tool
like that used in the "Toy Story"
movies (what if toys had feelings, and were
actually animated in the absence of people --
something everyone who has been a child can
identify with).
The theater experience (Saturday at 5:30) seemed
to confirm my feelings. I remember
"Monsters, Inc.," "Finding
Nemo," and "The Incredibles" (my
Pixar favorite) as raucous good times, where the
characters are constantly on the move towards
their goal/destination. "Cars" seems to
stagnate in a desert town, Radiator Springs, for
the bulk of its time. I didn't sense a buzz in my
audience that I had for the other films.
It's still definitely worth seeing, even in the
theater, but it's the first Pixar film to fall
below the ranking of "classic." While
this one was constructed while the studio was
still independent, I hope it's not a sign of
things to come now that Disney owns it.
Congrats
to Drew
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 2, 2006
Former Carolina
Journal editor and friend Drew
Cline
caught Rush Limbaugh's attention with his
excellent piece today in American Spectator,
on how conservatives should publicly disavow
themselves from the Republican Party.
Keep
the alternative minimum tax
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
June 1, 2006
University of
Maryland economist Robert H. Nelson says it
could carve a path to get a flat tax.
The
latest victim of global climate change
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
May 31, 2006
Sports
and recreation.
State
capitol cheering section
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
May 25, 2006
Why didn't
anybody tell me they were clothing
the statues with jerseys again?
Do
pigs fit under hats?
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
May 24, 2006
Interesting
developments with the Senate budget released
yesterday, with Senate leader Marc Basnight amazingly
claiming there isn't enough money (despite that well-known
$2-billion-plus surplus) for legislators'
earmarks:
It contains
less by way of earmarked projects for
particular districts — what critics might
less charitably call pork. Left out of the
Senate budget, for example, were requests to
build a transportation and logistics
classroom building near PTI Airport, a
proposed music hall in High Point and funding
for the civil rights museum in Greensboro.
"We didn’t have the money," Senate
leader Marc Basnight said Tuesday. "You
could have that money to do those projects,
but you’d have to take it away from
education or mental health."
Democrat Rep. Alma "Magical Place" Adams of
Greensboro wasn't buying it:
"It’s
stripped to the bone, and people are really
upset," she said.
When told that Basnight said budget writers
ran out of money, Adams was skeptical.
"They probably didn’t prioritize
right," Adams said.
Watch out, Rep. Adams has been known to to pull a rabbit or two out from her hat!
He's
with Jack Kennedy now
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
May 23, 2006
Lloyd
Bentsen dies.
Encouraging
sprawl
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
May 19, 2006
According
to USA Today, Bakersfield, Calif. has
become the anti-smart growth city:
At a time
when many areas of the country are trying to
contain sprawl, the City Council won approval
this year to expand an area chosen for
development outside city limits that could
nearly double Bakersfield's size in the years
ahead.
Critics see the expansion as a green light to
builders that will encourage more suburban
sprawl, gobble up more prime farmland and
aggravate traffic congestion and air
pollution.
Many developers and politicians, however, see
a way to satisfy a feverish housing demand
that has turned a once-conservative backwater
into one of the state's fastest-growing
cities.
Mayor Harvey Hall says Bakersfield has little
appetite for higher-density developments and
other urban design trends. "I certainly
respect the interests of the smart-growth
people," Hall says. "But as the
mayor, I support prosperity. You just can't
stop growth."
'United
93'
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
May 1, 2006
I saw
it last
night, and as many reviewers have said, it is
harrowing. Writer/director Paul
Greengrass set the story as a
"fly on the wall" experience for
viewers, which created an appropriate tone and
sobriety to consider what took place on 9/11.
There was no "acting" that was clearly
intended to activate emotions. I felt like I was
just watching ordinary folks in an extraordinary
situation, and that in itself is a tribute to the
players and Greengrass.
Most impressive to me was that the most intense
scenes (with the exception of the ending) were
not those captured on the plane, but instead were
those of air traffic controllers and military
decisionmakers. Many of these people played
themselves in the film. I think it would be very
difficult to recreate emotions and reactions from
probably the most memorable day of their lives,
but maybe I'm wrong. Much has been written about
the good performance of Ben
Sliney,
the National Operations Manager for the FAA (who
was on his first day on the job) who played
himself in the movie. I was more impressed with
the individual air traffic controllers who were
trying to figure out which planes were hijacked
and which ones weren't on that day. I truly
shared in their frustration as I watched.
It ended exactly as I imagined it would, but the
impact was not lessened at all because of that.
At last, I was finally able to exhale.
These people were incredible heroes. They saved
perhaps hundreds of lives; maybe thousands. Every
American should see it, because they need the
reminder of what our enemy did to us.
Remember
Jeffrey Maier?
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
April 19, 2006
Now he's
a ballplayer.
Afternoon
diversion
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
April 18, 2006
Wanna see a
bridge blow up? The span I used to cross almost
weekly when I was growing up, the Jamestown
Bridge, was
partially demolished today. The rickety thing was
built in 1940, and its replacement was finished
in 1992, long after the old bridge should have
been replaced.
It connected the Rhode Island mainland to
Conanicut Island (known as Jamestown), in
Narragansett Bay. On the opposite side of
Jamestown is the Pell Bridge, which connects to
Newport.
Oh, and your (federal) tax dollars are paying for
most of the blast.
Nofziger
story with a NC angle
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
March 28, 2006
Blogging in The
Corner, Peter Robinson recalls
an episode in which the
now-departed Lyn Nofziger was confronted by Nancy
Reagan in 1976, and helped keep Ronald Reagan in
the race for the Republican presidential
nomination.
They
think it belongs to them
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
March 24, 2006
Turn over a
small fragment of the Washington Post's
blogosphere to a social conservative and what do
you get? Liberal
outrage.
Stop
and think
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
March 20, 2006
As Karen
Palasek has written in the past, there are clear
benefits
to shirking, both for employer and employee --
and especially for think tanks.
Ach-ee-double-hockey-sticks
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
February 22, 2006
Rep. Sue Myrick sent
President Bush a "letter"
stating her opinion on selling control of six
major U.S. ports to the United Arab Emirates.
She probably could have fit it on a postcard and
saved a little on postage.
We'll
leave the blight on for ya
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
February 6, 2006
In light of Daren Bakst's Spotlight on North Carolina's
definition of "blight" for eminent
domain, comes the
story of Long Branch, New Jersey, where the local
government is trying to take some apparently
blightless property.
What
are op-eds for?
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
February 1, 2006
Iain Murray of
the Competitive Enterprise Institute defends
fired think-tanker and former syndicated
columnist Doug Bandow (and others), saying the
targeting of conservative writers who promote ideas
is a witch hunt designed to stifle free speech.
What difference does it make whose idea it is, he
asks.
You
may want to double-check this, but...
Posted by Paul
Chesser,
January 31, 2006
...I understand
that in years in which the State of the Union
speech and the Oscar announcements fall on the
same day, the party in power always loses seats
in Congress. And that the winner of the Golden
Globe Best Picture ends up losing the Oscar.
 
Blogging
habits
Posted by Paul
Chesser
Expect less
frequent blog postings in the near future. I've
been given some new responsibilities at Carolina
Journal
and the John
Locke Foundation. Outside of that, I'm
going to continue to devote my efforts to more
full-length published opinion pieces. Check back
occasionally for updates on those.
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