We went to the UNC Men’s Basketball awards ceremony, along with a bunch of other fans. It was good.

Donald Rumsfeld warns the Iraqi government to not politicize the military. Yep, that’s our Rumsfeld.

Quote from an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education: In the firebrand’s [ Ward Churchill] defense, Mr. Sandoval offered the standard-issue rhetoric of academic freedom: Mr. Churchill’s words were hurtful and terrible, yes, but it was nonetheless “appropriate for him to raise the issues” as a university professor. However, with the reporter’s next question, the conversation dropped abruptly from the rhetorical sphere. Can you think of any circumstances, the reporter asked, where a professor’s speech would constitute a firing offense? ...

Draftcity.com on Jackie Manuel at the Portsmouth Invitational: Manuel really looked like a sore thumb on the roster sheet that was handed out where all the player’s stats are listed from this past season. The reason for that is obvious, as he played for the team that won the National Championship and let others focusing on scoring while he did all the little things to help his team out. That wasn’t the case here at Portsmouth, where he showed off some offensive skills that no one (except maybe his teammates) knew he had in him beforehand. He was probably the most athletic player at this tournament, or at least the player that showed off the most athleticism in every thing he did. Manuel probably earned himself an invite to Chicago, but he’ll have to work on his stroke in the next two months to show that he can play in the NBA as a SG. ...

My Unitarian Jihad Name is: The Dagger of Forgiveness. Get yours. Link courtesy of intertwingly

More from the Portsmouth Invitational: Jackie Manuel: Continued his impressive week in Portsmouth with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Jawad Williams’ team. Manuel was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line and 3-of-7 from the field. Jawad Williams: Totaled 20 points – the second highest scoring total in the game – and added 10 rebounds and two blocks. Williams shot 9-of-17 from the field and 2-of-3 at the line. He got a game-high 35 minutes of playing time. ...

The Mows, by Jay Dyke…

Former star defender at UNC turns into offensive powerhouse for the night at the Pre-NBA Draft Portsmouth Invitational: Was the star of the early evening contest, with a game-high 22 points for Beach Barton Ford in an 86-81 losing effort. Manuel filled up the stat line shooting 10-of-12 from the field, 2-of-3 at the free throw line and posting 6 rebounds, 4 blocks, 2 assists and 1 steal. Jawad Williams is playing as well, but it sounds like Wake Forest’s Taron Downey had the better night last night. ...

Capt. Mbaye Diagne, Senegal, United Nations: He gave his life that others might live. Link courtesy of Obsidian Wings

Last year this day, I married the best person I know. We got married in Gatlinburg, TN, at a small wedding chapel up a one-lane winding road on the side of a mountain. We decided to have it there because it was a fairly convenient place for both of our families, and the chapel would take care of all the arrangements. We drove in a couple of days before, through Sevierville and Pigeon Forge, and stopped in Pigeon Forge to get the license. If you’ve ever been in that area, you know: Driving through Pigeon Forge on the main highway is like driving through Main Street at Disney World with 50,000 other people driving as well. Or maybe just Myrtle Beach. It’s a sensory overload experience, so we were quite surprised to turn off of the highway at the license office and discover that Pigeon Forge is also a very small, quiet town nestled a block behind the garish facades of theaters, amusement parks, and motels. ...