Thousands of marchers?

Bill Barber and the NAACP claim 80,000 to 100,000 folks showed up to protest on Saturday February 8 in downtown Raleigh. The left leaning Politics NC website uses commonly accepted crowd estimating formulas and says 20,000. I wasn't there, but I saw photos and talked to two people who were there. The people who were there spouted the Barber line, so I am not too certain of its validity. They were enthusiastic though. I tend to go with smaller numbers than event organizers use. The organizers have a vested interest in giving bigger numbers to promote their success/importance. Walt-in-Durham

Crystal Mangum legal research.

I was doing a bit of research on murder in the second degree and came across this from the general statutes: NCGS § 14-17(b)(1)The malice necessary to prove second degree murder is based on an inherently dangerous act or omission, done in such a reckless and wanton manner as to manifest a mind utterly without regard for human life and social duty and deliberately bent on mischief. Specifically: "... a mind utterly without regard for human life and social duty and deliberately bent on mischief." I think that phrase well describes Crystal's life up to this point. From stealing taxi cabs, to escorting, to telling lies about the lacrosse team, to setting Milton's clothes alight, to stabbing Reginald Daye, to flirting with the cops after she stabbed him, that is a mind utterly without regard for human life and social duty and deliberately bent on mischief. Walt-in-Durham

UNC academic mess.

WNCT has a story about a NCCU professor who wants to "flip the script" on college athletics.

I am not a "fan" of UNC, nor am I a "fan" of Virginia Tech. However, Va Tech graduates 77% of its football athletes. UNC-CH about 58%. I am not a "fan" of Penn State, but PSU graduates almost 70% of its football athletes. Without question, Penn State and VA Tech have much better football than UNC. So what is the difference? Penn State and VA Tech have hired coaches over the years (Joe Paterno, Bill O'Brien and Frank Beemer) who lived up to the college's expectation that good football could be played and the college's obligation to the players to provide a sound education could be met. It comes down to a set of expectations from the top. The Chancellor, the University President and the Board of Governors have to set an expectation that football will be successful on the field but more importantly, the university must fulfill its promise to the athletes. UNC does not do that. Until they start setting the standard that Penn State and Va Tech do, we will still see the lousy graduation rates of football players at UNC-CH. We will still see the situation improve.

Walt-in-Durham

Obama says government can create more middle class jobs.

According to WTVD, our local ABC affiliate, the President says that government can create more middle class jobs that offer good wages, health care and a retirement plan. Ignoring the economic contradictions of that claim, WRAL, our local CBS affiliate, is reporting that the State Department has raised no environmental objections to the Keystone XL pipeline. The question I have to ask the President is, if you support the idea of more good jobs that pay well and offer retirement and healthcare benefits, why even think about opposing the Keystone XL pipeline? The construction jobs it creates will meet the President's definition of good jobs. The refining and chemical industry jobs it creates and preserves will meet the President's definition of good jobs. Yet Mr. Obama seems to be delaying the approval of this good job creation project, why?

Well, the answer my friends is, environmentalists oppose this pipeline. Why? Well, they say it will create more greenhouse gasses thus warming the earth. JP Morgan says for every proposal there is a good reason and the real reason. First, I don't think environmentalists good reason is all that good. The State Department report debunks that. According to the State Department, the mining that Keystone XL is intended to support will go on with or without the pipeline. Without it, the oil will just be transported by different means to a different refining area. Probably off shore. Thus the harm, if any there may be, will take place and the refining will happen somewhere with fewer environmental protections than we have in the U.S.A.  That leaves us to answer the question, what is the real reason to oppose Keystone XL?

All I can figure is the environmentalists just don't want any sort of further development of the U.S. petro-chemical industry. For them, any development here is the worst thing they can imagine. They still use petro-chemicals, of course. They just don't want the industry in this country. The President's decision will tell us a lot about him and little else. The oil will get mined, it will get transported and it will get refined. The real question is, will that benefit the U.S. or will it harm the U.S. With Obama making the decision, I expect him to harm us rather than help us.

Walt-in-Durham

More filings and counter filings in Sid's frivolous lawsuit against Duke

Well Sid has been at it again. He filed his response to Duke's response. In many ways, these two litigants deserve each other. It's sort of pot calling the kettle black sort of litigation. However, Duke does have the law and equity on its side. Sid did file this case once, he lost on the merits. Now he wants to do it again, just exactly the same way. What's the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and expecting a different result. That's Sid. For the good of all litigants, we cannot allow endless re-litigation of the same claims over and over again.

Walt-in-Durham

Durham Police under a microscope.

According to WTVD the DPD has some explaining to do. All I have to say is the innocent lacrosse players have been suing for an independent monitor for years. Now you see why it's a good idea. Had the city accepted the players' suggestion, an independent monitor would be in place today. No matter what side you are on, the monitor could give a fair report and suggest changes. Then we would know if something is wrong.

Walt-in-Durham

Chancellor Folt responds to reading scandal.

Chancellor Carol Folt has responded with an open letter to the UNC community. Some background, UNC has been embroiled in athletic and academic scandal since the infamous tweet by Marvin Austin about a party he attended in Miami while he was still an undergrad. The problem with that party was, Austin was in college and there were questions about impermissible benefits to student athletes raised. It's been all down hill from there.

Of late, a reading specialist at UNC Mary Willingham has alleged that a number of UNC student athletes don't read at a college level. Michael Mcadoo has characterized academics for athletes at UNC as "a scam." in a WTVD report. In the same report, UNC has disputed Willingham's claims.

Chancellor Folt in her response, has asked for time to investigate. Yet another investigation, after seven. The picture the investigations paint is one where the institution is circling the wagons and there seems to be a lack of institutional control of its athletic processes. Because she is new, although hopefully hired with full disclosure, I am inclined to give Folt some time to investigate again. Otherwise, it's time for UNC System to step in and show some leadership.

Walt-in-Durham