Kevin Niparko is making sense: Never Collis

During my junior year, Dartmouth college shut down the Collis student center for a major rehab. They reopened the building halfway through my senior year, and gave the campus a pool hall, a larger and more accessible function room, and a decent on campus pub. But the food at Collis Common Ground was as inedible as it was when I first arrived on campus. Hippie food.

The today's edition of The Dartmouth, Kevin Niparko '11 writes that not much as changed over the past 15 years:

I’ve had this Collis debate with so many people (females), I decided I would do myself (and all men on this campus) a favor and explain why Collis Cafe is not an attractive option for anything but breakfast (and maybe a midnight snack). I’m always dumbfounded when I walk into Collis and see the hordes of Collis-extremists fighting over the last piece of orange poppy seed tea bread, or chewing balsamic vinegar-soaked lettuce like Peter Rabbit. Have our collective campus taste buds really become so dysfunctional that we willingly resign ourselves to Collis’ flavorless foods?

For lunch, our Collis options are made-to-order sandwiches, stir-fry and salad. The sandwich selection at Collis is insultingly limited. It ranks last among our College’s sandwich stations, with “specialty” bread straight from the supermarket that you can’t even get toasted. As for stir-fries, every time I get one, I’m reminded of week-old Chinese food. The chicken is Blimpie quality, and the rice it’s served on is bland and overcooked.

Hey, hippies have the eat, too. I think. I've never really paid that much attention. And I'm glad that Collis is part of the campus dining mix. But Mr. Diparko explains very well why me, and I, would prefer to meet somewhere else for lunch.

Jennifer Granholm flunks history

The Governor of Michigan thinks that her state built the B-1 Bombers that won WWII.

As the Arsenal of Democracy during World War II, Michigan was called upon in a time of crisis to transition our auto manufacturing base to tanks and B-1 bombers.

The B-1 Bomber took its first flight in 1974, which was a little late to have much effect of the Luftwaffe. To be fair, Michigan did build the nuclear submarines that defeated the Royal Navy in 1912, and the X-Wing fighters that flew air support over Grenada. That's what you get for going to Berkeley and Harvard Law.

PS- Of course, this was just a slip of the keyboard by whichever staffer ghost-wrote her piece (badly) on the Huffington Post. Such errors are only signs of low intelligence when committed by Republicans.

Hattip: American Princess

Grim Ferry Tales

Our friend Scott St. Clair has been doing great work at the Evergreen Freedom Foundation, investigating waste and mismanagement on the taxpayer-subsidized ferry system.

One page reads: "Ferry Tales: A tragicomedy about failure, folly, and
foolishness at Washington State Ferries."

Volunteers have been handing out the pamphlets to passengers waiting in line at ferry docks.

Scott St. Clair, who did the research that went into "Grim Ferry Tales," says the goal is pull back the curtain and give people a glimpse of how their tax dollars are being
used and misused at W.S.F.

"We wanted to take a look at some of the issues inside the ferry system," he said.

The pamphlet hammers WSF for letting unions control what hours ferries and the ferry repair shop operate. It also goes after the ferry system for not building the boats that were promised after a gas tax hike six years ago.

What's happening at NH Watchdog?

Lots of good stuff at NH Watchdog:

Fosters rails against raising the gas tax.

PJ O'Rourke documents our slide into a banana republic.

Charlie Arlinghaus wants to make us more like Canada.

An Ohio Police Chief tries to blackmail voters into higher taxes.

China warns the Federal Reserve about printing too much money.

Sonia Sotomayor getting Nomination

Wow, got one right. President Obama will nominate New York appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor to replace David Souter on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Liberals are thrilled that Obama will nominate a woman and a Hispanic, which seem like really trivial reasons to anyone who believes people should be judged "not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

Opposition will likely center around a recent piece in the New Republic by Jeffrey Rosen questioning Sotomayor's legal temperment:

The most consistent concern was that Sotomayor, although an able lawyer, was "not that smart and kind of a bully on the bench," as one former Second Circuit clerk for another judge put it. "She has an inflated opinion of herself, and is domineering during oral arguments, but her questions aren't penetrating and don't get to the heart of the issue."

Conservatives will point to a video where Sotomayor says that appeals courts are where policy is made as proof that she's an activist judge:


To be fair, she doesn't seem to say that policy should be made at the appeals court; only that it does.

I'd be more concerned about her tendency towards judicial errors. Three times, she has been reversed by the Supreme Court, not for some disagreement over proper interpretation of the Constitution, but for legal slopiness. She has repeatedly failed to correctly apply the law. That's not a good trait on a Court that deals with complicated technical issues of the law more often than with the controversial big-ticket items like the death penalty, abortion, and gun control.

Barring any unpaid taxes or similar scandals that seem to attract Obama nominees, Sototmayor will be confirmed. I hope for a vigorous and healthy Senate debate. Given the makeup of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I'm not holding my breath.

Memorial Day

I've been lucky enough that both my grandfathers made it back from WWII, and my father came home from Vietnam. Today, we remember those who didn't make it back; who gave their lives to defend our freedom.

Frank Guinta Interview

RedHampshire has posted an extensive interview with Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta, who has announced his candidacy for New Hampshire's First District.

Honoring New Hampshire's Veterans

Over a NHWatchdog, I've posted a graph showing when all of the estimated 122,000 veterans in New Hampshire served.

NH Veterans by Date of Service

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Humanities Research grant bosse New Hampshire

Why Journalists Deserve Low Pay

HEH!

Mandating Paid Vacation

Over at NH Watchdog- Mandating Paid Vacation.

First post in forever

I know. I've been giving all the blog love to NH Watchdog, your best source for coverage of the New Hampshire budget, but I felt it was time to get things going again over here at the personal blog.

In case you missed it, here's my story on Tom Thomson taking over as Honorary Chairman of Americans for Prosperity NH at RedHampshire, and an article in Foster's about the possible impact on local school districts if the Senate cuts Building Aid.

Rising Republican Stars

Thanks to folks at PolickerNH.com, who had some nice things to say about me this morning:

Grant Bosse: Bosse might have finished fourth in a four-way Republican primary in the 2nd Congressional District, but Bosse redeemed himself by skillfully managing Bill Denley's State Senate campaign. In addition, Bosse's work with the Josiah Bartlett Center will serve as talking points for Republican legislators.

They'll be doing their year-end lists all week, and started with the Top Ten (actually 11) Rising Republican Stars, and I appreciate the mention. It's a great list, and shows that the GOP has a lot of talent on tap. You can read the entire list here.

The Future of the NH GOP

Former Governor John Sununu and State Republican Chairman Fergus Cullen joined Sean McDonald this morning on WMUR's Close-Up to discuss the future of the New Hampshire Republican Party:

Part I:


Part II:


Part III:


Part IV:

Yes, Virginia...

The Union Leader publishes my favorite column of the year:

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following editorial, among the most famous ever written, appeared in The New York Sun in 1897 and remains appropriate for this Christmas season 111 years later.

We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

Dear Editor: I am 8 years old.

Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.

Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun it's so." Please tell me the truth: Is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O'Hanlon.

115 West Ninety-Fifth Street

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except (what) they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal life with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world, which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernatural beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

President Bush and the Horrible, Awful, Really Bad Idea

Awful, awful, awful decision:

The White House announced a $17.4 billion rescue package for the troubled Detroit auto makers that allows them to avoid bankruptcy and leaves many of the big decisions for the incoming Obama administration.

Speaking from the White House, President George W. Bush said the administration decided against forcing a bankruptcy to compel cost-cutting, in order to avoid the risk that consumers would desert one or more of the companies and touch off an industry collapse, deepening the current economic downturn.

Good for Ford for passing up the cash with strings attached, and good for Senator Gregg:

"The Administration's decision to use funds from TARP as a bridge loan to the auto companies to stave off bankruptcy is inconsistent with the purposes of TARP. These funds were not authorized by Congress for non-financial companies in distress, but were to be used to restore liquidity and stability in the overall financial system of the country and to help prevent fundamental systemic risks in the global marketplace."

Heeere's Reggie! Cap and Trade comes to New Hampshire

New Hampshire has netted $4 million by selling the right to emit carbon dioxide. Read all about it over at NHWatchdog.

Also, here is a great resource for all of your questions about the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

Making a bad idea worse

Bailing out automakers for their bad decisions in a bad idea. Putting the federal government in charge of them is even worse.

Congressional Democrats and the White House worked to resolve their last disputes Monday over terms of a $15 billion bailout for U.S. auto makers - complete with a "car czar" to oversee the industry's reinvention of itself - that's expected to come to a vote as early as Wednesday.

Cullen Stepping Down; Sununu Stepping Up

New Hampshire Republican State Committee Chairman Fergus Cullen will not be seeking a second term following Governor John H. Sununu's decision to seek the post. Fergus is a friend of mine going back to high school, and I'm a fan.

The Party Chair is a truly thankless job. The State Party has never won an election, and gets the blame for every loss. In New Hampshire, it's a volunteer position. Fergus worked hard in an awful year for the GOP. He could have done better, and could have done worse. I want to thank him for her service to the party, and hope he stays involved.

Right to Carry in National Parks

This seems like good news.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), through the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has announced the final amended version of its changes to rules on carrying of firearms in national parks and wildlife refuges. DOI’s move will restore the rights of law-abiding gun owners who wish to transport and carry firearms for lawful purposes on most DOI lands, and will make federal law consistent with the state law in which these public lands are located. NRA led the effort to amend the existing policy regarding the carrying and transportation of firearms on these federal lands.

I spoke extensively about the right to carry in National Parks on the campaign trail, and am glad that this right has been restored. Let's hope the Obama Administration decides not to go to the trouble of reversing this sensible and overdue decisions.

Organization Day in the NH

The House and Senate met today to take their oaths, and elect officers.

Check out all the day's events at NHWatchdog, including a brief profile of 17-term Secretary of State Bill Gardner.