Springfest weekend gets wild

Springfest this Saturday was out of control in a very good way as hundreds flocked to Shaw Field to watch such groups as Heiruspecs, Har Mar Superstar and Superdrag perform. Basically everyone there was completely crunked in one way or another. The beer garden was cheap and relatively easy to get into. The acoustics were not very good, as the stage was angled towards a brick wall that reflected sound straight back, creating an echo whose phase shifted as one walked around. Apparently they realized it would be a problem when the stage was already half-set up and they just had to go with it. However all in all we had a terrific time chillin on the grass and watching the new Macalester windmill go around and around and around....

Beyond all this, we are in the midst of revving up for finals time. Fortunately I've already finished work for one class. There's still a ton of stuff to do, including several papers for Monday...

What we need are Bush Administration playing cards.

In the news there are probably positive changes afoot in Israel and Palestine as Abu Mazen becomes the first Prime Minister of Palestine. He will probably be able to negotiate a solid peace because the outside world respects him more than Arafat, not without reason. This should unfold quickly over the next few weeks. Here's an MSNBC presentation of Israel's Weapons of Mass Destruction. Here's an amusing Lawyer's Trip to Israel which includes visits with the Mossad, a visit to an Israeli military court trying terrorists, the Syrian border, and other exciting Lawyerly activities, I suppose.

In Iraq news, a Marine executed an Iraqi irregular after the Iraqi attacked the marine's unit with grenades. His comrade offered a frightening justification for the execution: "If he wouldn't have done it, those guys probably would've come back and killed or severely injured other Marines. He did the right thing."

Israeli-Arab activist and former member of the Knesset Azmi Bishara comments on the unexpected American threats towards Syria.

There is a very interesting movie called 'The Russian Ark' which was filmed in a single take within the Russian Hermitage museum. AP reports on it.