Week 10: Eyes on the Prize
In thumbing his nose at the Constitution and the Supreme Court and attacking the lawyers defending them, the president cited as justification Abraham Lincoln's (unlawful) suspension of habeas corpus during the Civil War. I am speaking of course about Pervez Musharraf, the president of Pakistan who recently incurred universal condemnation (well, but for a few key allies) for his suspension of democratic institutions and the imposition of martial law in Pakistan.
Lawyers across Pakistan had taken to the streets, enduring beatings and incarceration for demanding the reinstatement of the Constitution and the Supreme Court. In a show of support for our Pakistani colleagues, the ABA organized a protest march for lawyers in D.C. from 11:30 to 12:00 last Wednesday. "Support" apparently means exactly 0.5 billable hours.
The march was scheduled to start at 11:30, and by the time I got off of the Metro, I was afraid I'd missed the start. But when I arrived at the James Madison Building of the Library of Congress, the lawyers were still congregating about, preening for the reporters hemming them in on all sides.
'How's the protest rally going?' emailed my colleague Ferdose.
'Terribly,' I wrote back. 'Perhaps I shouldn't have worn my Musharraf '08 shirt.'
We were an unending sea of black and charcoal, a sign of visual support for our similarly-attired Pakistani colleagues. By the time I was able to pick out Amanda and a few of my other Guantanamo colleagues, the speeches had begun.
". . .We, the lawyers of America, stand shoulder to shoulder with the brave lawyers and citizens of Pakistan as you strive to preserve the rule of law in your nation. . ."
"Excuse me," came a whisper at my shoulder. The source was an ABA rep holding a clipboard. "Would you like to sign this petition in support of the Pakistani lawyers?"
"Absolutely," I said, taking the clipboard from her hand.
". . .An independent judicial system and a just constitution are cornerstones of all lawful societies. The arrests of Pakistani's Supreme Court justices, and of thousand of lawyers, judges, and civil leaders, are a profound breach of the rule of law. . ."
I crossed my 't's with a flourish. "Absolutely," I said again, as I handed the clipboard back to her.
"Thanks," she said brightly. "And here's a pin to wear during the march to show your support." I took the green ribbon and began twirling it between my thumb and forefinger.
". . .We call upon President Pervez Musharraf to free those lawyers and civil leaders who have been wrongly jailed. . ."
"Aren't you going to pin it on?" whispered Amanda.
I shook my head, holding a lapel out for her inspection. "The fabric's Italian. . ."
D.C. being a small city, and there only being so much room at the Capitol, other protest groups wandered in and out of ours. A diminutive Chinese lady circumambulated the crowd, trying to distribute flyers about the Falun Gong. More intriguingly, several individuals dressed in blue velvet whale costumes passed by on the sidewalk, waved to us, and kept walking. I would love to tell you that they were protesting the endangerment of whales, but I honestly didn't see a sign.
After the speeches, it was time for the march. The plan was for us to march vigorously from the Madison Building all the way to the Supreme Court. For those of you not familiar with D.C. geography, that's approximately 1 city block. Some might say, doesn't the Supreme Court of the United States have zero influence on this issue, and wouldn't it make more sense to march on the Pakistani embassy? To which I would politely respond, yes, but the Pakistani embassy isn't on the Blue and Orange lines, now is it?
No one had thought to come up with any slogans to sing out, so the "march" ended up being a bunch of people in dark suits walking in orderly fashion down the street. We looked like lobbyists popping out for a spot of lunch. It was probably one of the most orderly protests the nearby cops had ever seen, what with all of the participants fully cognizant of the extent of their First Amendment rights.
At least another protest group, the Pink Ladies, had joined ours and was engaging curious passers-by. "The brave lawyers of Pakistan are risking life and limb to defend the principles of law and justice. They have been kicked, yelled at, beaten, and arrested. . ."
"Did you bring any sunscreen?" I whispered to Amanda.
"No."
". . .We're showing our support for the courageous men and women of Pakistan, who, led by their legal community, remind citizens of all nations that justice and the rule of law and both precious and fragile. . ."
"My neck itches," I complained.
("Sorry," Amanda told me later, as we took the Metro to Chinatown. "I don't even carry sunglasses in this season." "Season?" I repeated. "What 'season' are we in exactly? Solar eclipse season?")
Collectively, we ground to a stop in front of the Supreme Court. We were supposed to walk around it once, but since we’d gotten off to a late start, most people just walked back to the Metro. Amanda and I walked up the steps of the Supreme Court, stood at the top and pumped our fists in the air in defiance. This had the sole effect of startling some clerks who were returning from lunch.
Then, in a final show of support to the fearless spirit of our Muslim brethren, we sat down for some sliders and pepperoni pizza.
Onto the game. . .
Steve Smith Homicide Watch: Charlotte Observer columnist Tom Sorensen
After the Panthers' 20-13 loss to Atlanta last weekend, the snarky newspaper columnist asked Smith (5-for-61) whether this was the most frustrated he's been as a Panther. "Who said I was frustrated?" asked Smith. Sorensen said that he sensed as much.
Smith's response: "You're not going to get me to say that I'm unhappy here and all that stuff. . . .I mean, you didn't play sports so you wouldn't understand anyway, Sorensen."
How did the Panthers perform on Sunday? A strong showing by the Big Cat D. After Atlanta's opening touchdown drive, the game devolved into a field goal battle, with Carolina's lone touchdown the result of a defensive fumble recovery. Another year, another trip to the IR for LB Dan Morgan, which amounts to $750K in cap space keeping the bench warm. However his replacement, rookie Jon Beason, was phenomenal, notching 11 tackles, and helping to hold the game at 13-all with less than two minutes to play.
But the offense was anemic, even behind the indefatigable arm of Vinny Testaverde. The Panthers were ultimately undone on special teams. With shades of K John Kasay's infamous short punt at the end of Super Bowl XXXVIII, a 23-yard punt return allowed the Falcons to start their final drive at the 50-yard line with less than two minutes to play. Broken tackles by safeties Chris Harris and Quinton Teal allowed TE Alge Crumpler into the end zone for the game-deciding score.
I could dwell on the Panthers' woes on offense, their quarterback carousel, the inability of any second receiver to take the pressure off of Steve Smith, and a running game about as committed as Fred Thompson's presidential bid.
I could dwell on that, but I want to instead turn to a certain other team that the country is talking about, on the verge of making history by going undefeated behind one of the most impressive offenses seen in decades. I'm talking of course about the phenomenal Yale football team, currently 9-0, 6-0 Ivy, setting up a showdown with Harvard this weekend (7-2, 6-0) between two teams that are undefeated intraconference, to determine the '07 Ivy League crown!
How does this Yale team stack up to that other undefeated team?
Quarterback: QB Tom Brady dates Gisele Bundchen. QB Matt Polhemus '08 dates the "Gisele Bundchen" of the Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry department.
Coach: Jack Siedlecki dresses in clothes from Barrie Ltd. Booters. Bill Belichik dresses like a cornerman.
RB: Lawrence Maroney is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and Sammy Morris is out for the season. Mike McLeod '09 has already set Yale records for rushing yards in a game, touchdowns in a career, consecutive games scoring touchdowns (besting Calvin Hill '69's record), points in a career, touchdowns in a season, carries in a season, and consecutive 100-yard rushing games (besting Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron '73's record).
Wide receivers: Who cares?! We have Mike McLeod!
Prediction: Yale 34, Harvard 20
Next week, the Panthers travel to Green Bay to take on the 8-1 Packers and the overhyped Brett Favre. A blowout, most expect, a showcase for the Pack. Honestly, do you really expect the Pack to go 15-1? Do you? Or do you think this will be the week that the Panthers expose the fraudulence on the tundra, and leave the cheese-heads looking like Chris Hansen just walked into their kitchen?
Prediction: Panthers 16, Packers 3
Until next time.
RROWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Lawyers across Pakistan had taken to the streets, enduring beatings and incarceration for demanding the reinstatement of the Constitution and the Supreme Court. In a show of support for our Pakistani colleagues, the ABA organized a protest march for lawyers in D.C. from 11:30 to 12:00 last Wednesday. "Support" apparently means exactly 0.5 billable hours.
The march was scheduled to start at 11:30, and by the time I got off of the Metro, I was afraid I'd missed the start. But when I arrived at the James Madison Building of the Library of Congress, the lawyers were still congregating about, preening for the reporters hemming them in on all sides.
'How's the protest rally going?' emailed my colleague Ferdose.
'Terribly,' I wrote back. 'Perhaps I shouldn't have worn my Musharraf '08 shirt.'
We were an unending sea of black and charcoal, a sign of visual support for our similarly-attired Pakistani colleagues. By the time I was able to pick out Amanda and a few of my other Guantanamo colleagues, the speeches had begun.
". . .We, the lawyers of America, stand shoulder to shoulder with the brave lawyers and citizens of Pakistan as you strive to preserve the rule of law in your nation. . ."
"Excuse me," came a whisper at my shoulder. The source was an ABA rep holding a clipboard. "Would you like to sign this petition in support of the Pakistani lawyers?"
"Absolutely," I said, taking the clipboard from her hand.
". . .An independent judicial system and a just constitution are cornerstones of all lawful societies. The arrests of Pakistani's Supreme Court justices, and of thousand of lawyers, judges, and civil leaders, are a profound breach of the rule of law. . ."
I crossed my 't's with a flourish. "Absolutely," I said again, as I handed the clipboard back to her.
"Thanks," she said brightly. "And here's a pin to wear during the march to show your support." I took the green ribbon and began twirling it between my thumb and forefinger.
". . .We call upon President Pervez Musharraf to free those lawyers and civil leaders who have been wrongly jailed. . ."
"Aren't you going to pin it on?" whispered Amanda.
I shook my head, holding a lapel out for her inspection. "The fabric's Italian. . ."
D.C. being a small city, and there only being so much room at the Capitol, other protest groups wandered in and out of ours. A diminutive Chinese lady circumambulated the crowd, trying to distribute flyers about the Falun Gong. More intriguingly, several individuals dressed in blue velvet whale costumes passed by on the sidewalk, waved to us, and kept walking. I would love to tell you that they were protesting the endangerment of whales, but I honestly didn't see a sign.
After the speeches, it was time for the march. The plan was for us to march vigorously from the Madison Building all the way to the Supreme Court. For those of you not familiar with D.C. geography, that's approximately 1 city block. Some might say, doesn't the Supreme Court of the United States have zero influence on this issue, and wouldn't it make more sense to march on the Pakistani embassy? To which I would politely respond, yes, but the Pakistani embassy isn't on the Blue and Orange lines, now is it?
No one had thought to come up with any slogans to sing out, so the "march" ended up being a bunch of people in dark suits walking in orderly fashion down the street. We looked like lobbyists popping out for a spot of lunch. It was probably one of the most orderly protests the nearby cops had ever seen, what with all of the participants fully cognizant of the extent of their First Amendment rights.
At least another protest group, the Pink Ladies, had joined ours and was engaging curious passers-by. "The brave lawyers of Pakistan are risking life and limb to defend the principles of law and justice. They have been kicked, yelled at, beaten, and arrested. . ."
"Did you bring any sunscreen?" I whispered to Amanda.
"No."
". . .We're showing our support for the courageous men and women of Pakistan, who, led by their legal community, remind citizens of all nations that justice and the rule of law and both precious and fragile. . ."
"My neck itches," I complained.
("Sorry," Amanda told me later, as we took the Metro to Chinatown. "I don't even carry sunglasses in this season." "Season?" I repeated. "What 'season' are we in exactly? Solar eclipse season?")
Collectively, we ground to a stop in front of the Supreme Court. We were supposed to walk around it once, but since we’d gotten off to a late start, most people just walked back to the Metro. Amanda and I walked up the steps of the Supreme Court, stood at the top and pumped our fists in the air in defiance. This had the sole effect of startling some clerks who were returning from lunch.
Then, in a final show of support to the fearless spirit of our Muslim brethren, we sat down for some sliders and pepperoni pizza.
Onto the game. . .
Steve Smith Homicide Watch: Charlotte Observer columnist Tom Sorensen
After the Panthers' 20-13 loss to Atlanta last weekend, the snarky newspaper columnist asked Smith (5-for-61) whether this was the most frustrated he's been as a Panther. "Who said I was frustrated?" asked Smith. Sorensen said that he sensed as much.
Smith's response: "You're not going to get me to say that I'm unhappy here and all that stuff. . . .I mean, you didn't play sports so you wouldn't understand anyway, Sorensen."
How did the Panthers perform on Sunday? A strong showing by the Big Cat D. After Atlanta's opening touchdown drive, the game devolved into a field goal battle, with Carolina's lone touchdown the result of a defensive fumble recovery. Another year, another trip to the IR for LB Dan Morgan, which amounts to $750K in cap space keeping the bench warm. However his replacement, rookie Jon Beason, was phenomenal, notching 11 tackles, and helping to hold the game at 13-all with less than two minutes to play.
But the offense was anemic, even behind the indefatigable arm of Vinny Testaverde. The Panthers were ultimately undone on special teams. With shades of K John Kasay's infamous short punt at the end of Super Bowl XXXVIII, a 23-yard punt return allowed the Falcons to start their final drive at the 50-yard line with less than two minutes to play. Broken tackles by safeties Chris Harris and Quinton Teal allowed TE Alge Crumpler into the end zone for the game-deciding score.
I could dwell on the Panthers' woes on offense, their quarterback carousel, the inability of any second receiver to take the pressure off of Steve Smith, and a running game about as committed as Fred Thompson's presidential bid.
I could dwell on that, but I want to instead turn to a certain other team that the country is talking about, on the verge of making history by going undefeated behind one of the most impressive offenses seen in decades. I'm talking of course about the phenomenal Yale football team, currently 9-0, 6-0 Ivy, setting up a showdown with Harvard this weekend (7-2, 6-0) between two teams that are undefeated intraconference, to determine the '07 Ivy League crown!
How does this Yale team stack up to that other undefeated team?
Quarterback: QB Tom Brady dates Gisele Bundchen. QB Matt Polhemus '08 dates the "Gisele Bundchen" of the Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry department.
Coach: Jack Siedlecki dresses in clothes from Barrie Ltd. Booters. Bill Belichik dresses like a cornerman.
RB: Lawrence Maroney is averaging 4.7 yards per carry and Sammy Morris is out for the season. Mike McLeod '09 has already set Yale records for rushing yards in a game, touchdowns in a career, consecutive games scoring touchdowns (besting Calvin Hill '69's record), points in a career, touchdowns in a season, carries in a season, and consecutive 100-yard rushing games (besting Buffalo Bills coach Dick Jauron '73's record).
Wide receivers: Who cares?! We have Mike McLeod!
Prediction: Yale 34, Harvard 20
Next week, the Panthers travel to Green Bay to take on the 8-1 Packers and the overhyped Brett Favre. A blowout, most expect, a showcase for the Pack. Honestly, do you really expect the Pack to go 15-1? Do you? Or do you think this will be the week that the Panthers expose the fraudulence on the tundra, and leave the cheese-heads looking like Chris Hansen just walked into their kitchen?
Prediction: Panthers 16, Packers 3
Until next time.
RROWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!
Labels: Carolina, Crumpler, Delhomme, football, Mike McLeod, Musharraf, NFC South, NFL, Panthers, Steve Smith
posted by Panther fan at 4:53 PM
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