Not a Good Start

Just days after hiring him, UC Irvine fires noted constitutional law scholar and flaming political liberal Erwin Chemerinsky as its first law school dean. The chancellor of the university basically, and comically, blames the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy™ for the decision.

As much as I disagree with Chemerinsky in his interpretation of the law, the guy really does know his stuff. I personally discovered this when I studied for the Bar a few years ago, and the constitutional law review course I used was presented by Chemerinsky, via videotape. Not only was his presentation well structured, Chemerinsky wasn't using any notes as he spoke, and it didn't seem like he was reading off a teleprompter or cue cards. UC Irvine, I think, has made a huge mistake in not retaining Chemerinsky, and it isn't doing itself any favors by laying the blame on unnamed conservative pressure groups.

Beckwith on Catholic Answers Radio

Recent Catholic "revert", Francis Beckwith, is the featured guest on Catholic Answers radio today. In addition to being the former president of the Evangelical Theological Society, Dr. Beckwith used to be an instructor at my law school, though he didn't actually teach any law courses. Trinity Law School has a Master's degree program that can probably be best described as a hybrid of Christian apologetics and political science. I thought about enrolling in the program while I pursued my law degree, but then I discovered I would have been required to sign a statement of faith that included some beliefs an observant Catholic could not sign off on.

Highlanders on the Rise

This is interesting. My undergrad alma mater, UC Riverside, is a top 20 national university according to the Washington Monthly. Coming in at number 15, UCR is ranked ahead of several Ivy League schools like Penn (17), Harvard (27), Yale (38) and Columbia (41).

Even more interesting, though, is which school was ranked number 1: Texas A&M. (h/t)

My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir

I've really been anticipating the release of this autobiography from Clarence Thomas ever since I first heard about it five or six months ago at a Federalist Society meeting that featured John Yoo, one of Justice Thomas' former law clerks.

Looks as though Justice Thomas will also be doing a kind of book tour. He's scheduled to appear in So. Cal. at Chapman University on December 17.

What Got My Ass Kicked Off of CatholicMatch.Com

To be more accurate, what effectively got me kicked off: writing "bobbackwardsisbob.com" in response to an objectively racist, i.e., anti-semitic, comment made by another member of the site named, you guessed it, Bob. The administration of Catholic Match said my comment, which was written in the politics discussion forum on the site, was a personal attack. Unbelievable.

Well, at least they've agreed to give me a pro rated refund of the money I paid for membership.

Clarification: Man, I'm having a bad choice of words day. I literally was not kicked off of Catholic Match. I chose, instead, to terminate my membership, at Catholic Match's "invitation," because the administration of Catholic Match restricted my posting privileges on its discussion forums for the above state reason.

Update (8/20/07) I'm back on CM again with full privileges after an apology from the administration.

I Don't See Nothin'

For about five months now, I've been commuting from Orange County to San Bernardino County for a new job. So I figured since tomorrow is a Holy Day of Obligation, and I have to be all the way out in the Inland Empire for work, I'd go to a parish near my office for Mass. Not being familiar with the area, I naturally went to the website for the San Bernardino Diocese. Try as I might, however, I can't find any mention on the site of tomorrow being the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Therefore, I have no idea if the local parishes are going to be on their Holy Day Mass schedule. Rather than take a chance, I'm just going to go to the morning Mass at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange County, and arrive about a half hour later for work.

The Powerhouse Justice

I'm currently reading Supreme Conflict by Jan Crawford Greenburg, who is a correspondent for ABC news. Some pretty illuminating stuff about the SCOTUS, the chronology of which pretty much starts from when Sandra Day O'Connor was nominated and confirmed as a Justice in 1981.

I just recently finished the section on my favorite Justice, Clarence Thomas. Contrary to popular perception and characterization, Thomas was never Justice Scalia's intellectual water boy when he began his tenure on the Court. Indeed, during his first couple of weeks as a Justice, Thomas actually persuaded Scalia to change his mind on two cases.

An interesting side note about Clarence Thomas in Supreme Conflict is that shortly after the contentious battle over his confirmation to the Court, Justice Thomas had apparently discovered, and began drawing spiritual and emotional strength from, the Litany of Humility prayer. Given the words of this prayer, I have to believe that this is what has prevented Justice Thomas from "evolving" on the Court and lurching into judicial activism like Justice Anthony Kennedy, who is largely portrayed as being hyper-sensitive to public opinion.

It's Just Numbers, Man

I'll probably watch I Hate My 30's, but I have a feeling it'll end up on the ash heap of Gen-X nostalgia shows like this and this (both of which I actually liked).

Qualifications for Civil Servant Job

Brains is literally not one of them. This story is just so weird to actually be true that I almost half expect a somewhat respectable Catholic apologist to gleefully claim that presidential candidate Ron Paul is a serious threat to the Republican Party establishment. There's gotta be some pretty wacky stuff in your Seattle-brewed coffee to make that kind of a claim with a straight face.

If Berkeley Were An Entire Country

Being expressively against disordered behavior and Islamofascism is sure expensive in Canada. Just ask a guy named Bill Whatcott.

Does This Make Giuliani Functionally Pro-Life?

As revealed here, some of the members of The Mayor's "Justice Advisory Committee" include former U.S. Solicitor General Ted Olson, former Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson and filibustered judicial nominee Miguel Estrada. The selection of these individuals, I guess, are supposed to allay the concerns of many conservatives within the GOP regarding His Honor's rather well known liberal positions on several social issues, like abortion. Of course, we really don't know how influential this Advisory Committee is supposed to be if Giuliani is elected, much less who the other members are. Stay tuned.

Stranger Than Fiction

The Reverend Tori Spelling, who, like, got ordained online, like, presided over a g@y "wedding", like, as one of her first acts as, like, a woman of the, like, cloth. Fer sure.

Stuff is Happening

First, the long anticipated and welcomed motu proprio "freeing up" the Tridentine Mass, and coming this Tuesday (supposedly) a new document that appears to expound upon Dominus Iesus, and the therein discussion of the ecclesial nature of non-Catholic Christian, i.e., Protestant, "churches". (via)

Correction: Actually, Lumen Gentium is the original source of the topic to be addressed by the impending document.

Why I Don't Subscribe and Only Read the Sports Pages

Looks like the L.A. Times is set to run a hit piece on Fred Thompson by linking him with a pro-abortion organization that he might have done some lobbying for back in 1991. This, of course, was before Thompson was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994, where he accumulated a 100 percent voting record on life issues and was listed as an "enemy" by Planned Parenthood.

If the L.A. Times hit piece was a complaint in a lawsuit, it would be so demurred.

No Difference Between the Parties?

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeal's split ruling to dismiss the challenge to the NSA surveillance program indirectly proves otherwise. It's indirect, because the substance of the NSA program, which pretty much divides conservatives and liberals, doesn't appear to really have been touched upon. The case was dismissed, because the challengers to the program were found not to have standing to sue.

Gobbledygook

Today marks the 15th anniversary of my constitutionally protected right to publicly hold myself out as a potato.

"At the heart of liberty is the right to define one’s own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life." - Joint Opinion of the Supreme Court in Planned Parenthood v. Casey

Evan Not So Mighty

The movie trailors for Evan Almighty didn't impress me much to begin with, and now the, at best, mediocrity of the film appears to be confirmed. Chalk yet another one up for "Hollywood Doesn't Get Religion."

Are We Drifting Left?

K-Lo at The Corner notes a somewhat discouraging new Gallup Poll which shows Rudy Giuliani leading Fred Thompson for the GOP presidential nomination. On the upside, of course, it's still very early and Thompson hasn't even formally declared his candidacy. Plus, it looks like Thompson's numbers are on the upswing.

I Really Hate Cigarettes

I received some documents in the mail from a potential client yesterday, and they just reeked of cigarette smoke. For reasons of stench alone, I'm inclined to be in favor of outlawing cigarettes. I'm not, however, in favor of devoting tax money to support media campaigns against cigarettes and tobacco companies. Such is done here in California through the Department of Health Services. Either make cigarettes illegal or leave the attacks on Big Tobacco™ to privately funded groups.

Could She Be Anymore Condescending?

So for Nancy Pelosi, because "science" is a gift from God, killing embryonic human beings and extracting their stem cells for something that cures nothing is a good thing that all sincere religious people should embrace.

The line to smack Congresswoman Pelosi upside the head starts behind me.