Whiny Students

A UMass/Amherst student didn’t like the fact that he got a C in a class. So he sued. He lost.
The guy is 51 years old.

My Son the Letterman

My son was quite pleased when he came home–he earned a Letter Jacket for orchestra. Of course, we have to pay for it ….

Church Authority

Carrie at Beggers All notes that Catholic arguments for the church’s authority haven’t changed much over the centuries. She quotes from John Wycliffe (d. 1384):
“As our Lord Jesus Christ ordained by the writing of the four evangelists, to make his gospel surely known, and maintained against heretics, and men out of the faith; so the [...]

More on UST/MN Ban on Tutu

Inside Higher Ed has more about the banning of Desmond Tutu from UST in MN, including more info about the speech by Tutu to which some objected. Also, the director of the Justice and Peace Studies Program at the university was removed from her position for criticizing the university’s action.
The comments by Tutu that [...]

Congress Tries to Rein in Mercenaries

Congress is trying to rein in mercenaries like Blackwater, to make sure they are accountable to US law.
However, the White House, backed by some of its allies in Congress, expressed “grave concerns” and said in a statement that the measure would place “inappropriate and unwarranted burdens” on the U.S. military in war zones.
The House may [...]

“Blackwater: Not in Our Backyards”

LA Times op-ed on Blackwater, and rumors that California has considered using them in the wake of a disaster to supplement police and National Guard. That leaves the writer cold.

New Light on Bush Torture Approval

Secret U.S. Endorsement of Severe Interrogations. It’s not just about the amorality of the White House, its insistence on justifying the unspeakable in any way possible, but about its subornation of the Justice Department to that end.
Also in this article, more info about the CIA’s involvement in shooting down missionaries in Peru.
The Bush administration had [...]

Police Games

LA deputy sheriffs were having contests to see who could arrest the most people or impound the most cars in a 24 hour period.
But police accountability experts, civil libertarians and defense attorneys condemned the practice, saying that it trivialized traumatic encounters such as arrests and having a car impounded, and raised questions about deputies’ [...]

A Real Turkey

Forget Jurassic Park — Velociraptor was just a “turkey with attitude.”

Blackwater and Empire

I’ve been thoroughly disgusted by the news about Bush’s reliance upon mercenaries like Blackwater. They get paid much more than American soldiers, are there only for the money, can leave when they want, have no accountability to US or Iraqi law, etc., etc., etc. I find the existence and use of mercenary outfits like this [...]