Drinking cynically in Chapel Hill.

Sometime tomorrow evening, I'll once again be rolling into Chapel Hill for a couple weeks of down time. If there are similarly cynically-minded folks, we can always congregate for an evening of drinking and left-wing propaganda. Suggestions welcome in the comments section. And, yes, you're buying.

Drinking cynically in Chapel Hill.

For the next week, I will be in the delightfully liberal oasis of Chapel Hill, so blogging will be light, while drinking will be heavy. It's one of those win-win situations.

Kittehz!

Some long-time American cycling buds ran across this motley collection, abandoned by the side of the road during a ride in North Carolina. Most of them have good homes by now. Enjoy.

















P.S. A couple are still available, if you're in the vicinity of Durham/Chapel Hill.

Chapel Hill, here we come.

Well, not right this minute but later this week, I'll be arriving in North Carolina for about a week. If there are any local readers, beer is always an option.

You're buying.

An open road open thread.

About to drive 700+ miles to Chapel Hill again, be there for the rest of the week. And, yes, if you're in the area, you can certainly buy me a beer. I thought you'd never ask.

Bush to visit Gulf Coast a third time for emergency photo op.

(CC News, Chapel Hill, NC) For the third time since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, President George Bush will personally visit the area to bolster his image, repair the political damage and get in the way of emergency relief efforts as much as possible.

While providing nothing whatsoever in the way of actual relief assistance, Bush will first interfere with emergency air rescue efforts by clearing out the local air space to allow Air Force One to fly in unhindered by local traffic.

Immediately upon touchdown, Bush will commandeer the services of the U.S. Navy's newest destroyer, the U.S.S. Halliburton, for essential photo opportunities, which will include pictures of Bush surrounded by hundreds of able seamen who would otherwise be engaged in actual rescue and relief work.

Bush and his entourage will then take charge of a number of Red Cross emergency vehicles to tour the most most devastated areas of New Orleans, during which the president is expected to look somberly and solemnly out of the windows while marveling at "all that water." Once this tour is over, the vehicles will be returned to the Red Cross to continue doing actual rescue work.

During the visit, Bush is scheduled to hug as many homeless, destitute victims of the storm as possible, in an effort to show that he doesn't mind actually touching poor people if it becomes politically necessary.

Explained Bush advisor Karl Rove when asked why a third visit had been planned, "Well, we did some polls and it turns out that, even after the first two visits, most people still hated George's guts. So we figured, what the hell, third time's a charm, right?"

Hello, North Carolina. David Horowitz is coming to town.

If you're a student at UNC, you might want to take a look at this:

A bill introduced in the state Senate promises guidelines for the college classroom to assure fair treatment for all students, regardless of their ideology.

At least, that's what supporters of the Academic Bill of Rights say.

Opponents of the bill -- versions of which have sparked outcry in a number of states -- say it is nothing more than an attempt by conservatives to monitor and manage what goes on in the classroom.

And, if you've managed to keep up with me thus far, you'll know that I'd dearly like to get more detail on this claim:

A brouhaha erupted on the Chapel Hill campus last year after an English instructor sent a scathing e-mail to an entire class reprimanding one student for expressing conservative beliefs about homosexuality.

Anyone from UNC want to expand on that story? Oh, and about that fairy tale that the Bill is meant to be applied in a fair, balanced and ideologically-neutral way? Bullshit. And more bullshit. And even more bullshit.

And, of course, don't forget your humble author's 3-part series exposing Horowitz and the SAF's bogus ideological neutrality here.

Mar 31 update: Not surprisingly, Google made short work of tracking down more details on this story. And upon a very quick read, I'd have to say that I'd side with the student on this one. It looks like the instructor over-reacted but this is just a first impression -- I'll need to read up on this more closely. But, as far as I can tell, the prof may have over-reached and got smacked. What's the problem here?

Getting ready for more March Madness.

Go, Dook.

UPDATE: By a mad coincidence, I will be in Chapel Hill the weekend of the Final Four. I think I need to find me a Final Four party.