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Saturday, May 29, 2004Payback for GOP Mavericks? Splendidly slanted reporting (or more appropriately, editorializing being passed as journalism) from the Free Lance-Star: Howell, who voted against the plan, had promised not to retaliate against Republicans who supported the $1.4 billion in tax increases, and said removing Bryant and Oder from those commissions does not violate that promise.Speaker Howell is doing the right thing and should make no apologies. "Payback" would constitute removing Bryant and Oder from a variety of positions and appointments. What I love is the embedded editorializing done by the reporter: Privately, sources say Howell is under pressure from anti-tax conservatives in his caucus, who fought hard against the tax bill, to punish the renegade Republicans.Wonderful. This reads more like a whiny 10 year old asking why their sibling isn't getting the same punishment as they are. Hopefully the article is transparent enough to be read as opinion rather than journalism. Friday, May 28, 2004'Youngest planet' flouts theory of formation More geekness from one who is a geek about space stuff. Namely me. An infant planet just a million years old is puzzling astrophysicists - it is simply too young to exist, according to the standard model of planet formation.The really cool thing about this is that it makes the possibility of other Earth-like planets a more real possibility, as these larger planets get to act like shields against things like comets, asteroids, and such. The article also puts the formation of Jupiter-sized planets in thousands - and not millions - of years. Now that is cool! Pope Warns Americans Are In Danger Of A "Soulless Vision of Life" It's about time someone in the Catholic heirarchy had the courage to say what the American bishops cannot see for themselves, and no better person to say it that Pope John Paul II: The American church "is called to respond to the profound religious needs and aspirations of a society increasingly in danger of forgetting its spiritual roots and yielding to a purely materialistic and soulless vision of the world," John Paul said.Thank you Your Holiness for seeing the forest for the trees. Wednesday, May 26, 2004Hey, Hey, 16k! Hey, hey, 16k, What does that get you today? You need more than that for a letter, Old school rampaks are much better. And if the song is catchy enough, download it here. To Saddam's Prisioners, Abu Grahib Abuse Seems 'a Joke' This is what the anti-Bush peacemongers would have us tolerate as an alternative to the liberation of Iraq: "They called all the prisoners out to the courtyard for what they called a 'celebration.' We all knew what they meant by 'celebration.' All the prisoners were chained to a pipe that ran the length of the courtyard wall. One prisoner, Amer al-Tikriti, was called out. They said if he didn't tell them everything they wanted to know, they would show him torture like he had never seen. He merely told them he would show them patience like they had never seen."The next time the peacemongers start in on the abuses at Abu Grahib, remind them of why we are there, and how tragedies such as this don't happen under America's watch. Tuesday, May 25, 2004Conciliating Hatred A great article in the June/July edition of First Things: A theme of conciliation and inclusion was apparent, for instance, in Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s opinions almost as soon as she took her place on the Court. In Lynch v. Donnelly (1984), the first nativity scene case, O’Connor proposed that the establishment provision of the First Amendment should be construed to prohibit government from doing anything that would send a message either “endorsing” or “disapproving” religion. Although O’Connor herself seemed not to appreciate the fact, this was no modest proposal. Faithfully applied, the “no endorsement” prohibition would render unconstitutional such landmarks as the Declaration of Independence, Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, and, ironically, Jefferson’s famous “Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom.” It should come as no surprise, then, that the “no endorsement” doctrine was central to the Ninth Circuit’s 2002 ruling in the Newdow case that the words “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance violate the Constitution. Such a potentially disruptive innovation cries out for justification. So it is noteworthy that O’Connor has not tried to justify the doctrine by arguing that it derives from the text of the First Amendment, or from the Framers’ intentions, or even from the American constitutional tradition.An excellent critique of the Supreme Court as arbiter of political compromise. Saturday, May 22, 2004Radio Paradise Slowly I am converting the world to the ways of online listener-supported radio. No ads, no gimmicks, just good streaming online music over your MP3 player. Radio Paradise has to be the momentary favorite. And by momentary, I mean over the past six months or so. Two out of four Kenney brothers agree. . . it rocks! 1st District GOP Convention Spent the majority of the day in Gloucester County at the 1st District GOP Convention. Several elections were contested, but the biggest news of the day was who lost rather than who won - and lost badly too. Congratulations to Jim Bowden, Dennis Lister, and John Van Hoy for their election to RPV State Central Committee. The three conservatives won by overwhelming margins against Chichester-supported Stafford GOP Chairman Steven Apicella. In addition, Apicella lost the races for RNC Delegate by wide margins as well to Sherwood Bowditch, John Van Hoy, and Shelia Riley. Barbara Tillich, Rob Stuber, and Janet Jackson all polled strong second place finishes as alternates to our delegates. And of course, Yvonne McCoy was overwhelmingly elected as Elector over former Stafford supervisor candidate Tom Coen. Yvonne is an old favorite with the committee, so no big surprise there. To add to the mix, the committee passed four resolutions against the Chichester tax hikes, in the defense of pro-life values, in defense of traditional marriage, and finally in support of Rep. Jo Ann Davis. All in all, a very conservative climate at the 1st District. Moderates were crushed by huge margins (for instance, for SCC Apicella scraped together 121 delegate votes, while Bowden won 421 votes out of 465). A big win for anti-tax, pro-life conservatives today in the 1st District, and a huge loss for anyone who might think that RPV is showing signs of strain. Conservatives are angry and mobilized, and it looks as if the consternation from the Chichester tax hikes will last indefinitely. Thursday, May 20, 2004Neveron sucks I'm a reasonably big Battletech fan. My brother has been playing an online version of the game for years now at Neveron. So I figured that I would give it a whirl. What a mistake. There's more options and buttons on this than a switchboard, the tutorial is subpar, and there's simply no real way to learn and feel comfortable with the system. Stick to Classic Battletech, it works for me. Wednesday, May 19, 2004Nanny's Obituary Ann Abla Street, 72, of Fredericksburg died Monday, May 17, 2004, at Greenfield Assisted Living. Mrs. Street was a member of St. Mary Catholic Church.It still hasn't sunk in. . . I had my moment when she first went into the hospital, and when my son asked to see his great-grandmother "because Pop (who has been dead for 17 years) said so," almost hours after my grandmother said she had to stick around because my Pop told her to because of Jonathan and Matthew. I don't pretend to understand it all, I just go with the flow. I can say that I had a chance to spend some time with Nanny. She picked on me for kissing her forehead too much. She told me how beautiful her great-grandchildren were. She told me that Pop wanted to know why I didn't talk to him as much. She told me on more than one occasion that I was full of shit (her way of picking on me). When she was at the first nursing home, she asked me if she could go home. I couldn't get her out of there of course, but I told her I would do everything I could to try. She held my head and kissed me four or five times and smiled as best she could. Last Thursday, I was able to pray a rosary over her. The following few days she slowly went downhill, finally getting a fever on Saturday and passing shortly after midnight on Sunday. I'd like to think that helped somehow. It's tough. I spent nearly six years with Nanny. Even before that, when my mother was working in Washington while we attended Montfort Academy, we went to my grandparents and did all the normal family things. Going to the grocery store, craft stores, taking her to chemotherapy when I could, listening to stories, watching Murder She Wrote and HGTV. When Jonathan was born, she got two years of that little one in the house. They loved each other so much. I really miss my Nanny, and I'm watching to see how Jonathan and Matthew are going to deal with it all. When I was younger, I remember seeing Pop in the casket. I didn't think about it, but I just looked and understood that Pop wasn't really there - it was just a body. Maybe the same experience for my sons? Perhaps. I don't know. This was a bad weekend for family. A friend of mine lost his own grandmother, and another lost his wife over the weekend. So there are many things to pray for. I have confidence it will make sense in the end. Tuesday, May 18, 2004Obituary in today's FLS Incomplete as it is, as arrangements are still being made: Ann Abla Street, 72, of Fredericksburg died Monday, May 17, 2004, at Greenfield Assisted Living in Stafford County. Arrangements are incomplete at Found & Sons Funeral Chapels, Fredericksburg. Monday, May 17, 2004ATTACK OF THE RADICAL TRADITIONALISTS!!! For those of you who like to laugh, check this out (or read the 13 comments in my post re: my grandmother's passing): will do. by the by... whoa! I read your plastered response to my comment the one you self assuredly "LABELLED" racists traditionalists Wow!!! VA, VA. VAVOOOM!!! I strongly believe I got your Luciferianesque Pride excruciatiangly irritated as to resort to the the lowest than lowest form of absolute application of professional tyranny of words!I suppose someone took offense to my comparison of traditionalists with Americanists. No worries. . . got your IP address and I know who you are. For more information, check out my Response to Radical Traditionalists. For those who do not understand the controversy, traditionalists argue against both the Novus Ordo Missae (the new order of the Mass since 1960) and against the Second Vatican Council as heresy. Which makes more than a few of them schismatic and heretics themselves (thought not all). My comparison of traditionalists to progressives burned more than a few traditionalists, and this tract has made its way around in Catholic circles. Ann Street My grandmother passed away early this morning. Please keep her in your prayers. Saturday, May 15, 2004Treasure Hunting 21st Century Style! The Jamacian government is allowing private organizations to hunt for priate treasure off the Jamacian coast, with the provision that half of the findings go to the government and all non-valuable items are turned over to a yet-to-be-constructed museum: "We know we're going to benefit," said Susanne Lyon, executive director of the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, the state agency overseeing the project.Of course, the issue here really isn't the archaeology. Rather, this article merely reminds me that Sid Meier's PIRATES! is supposed to be re-released later this year! Friday, May 14, 2004The Cicada Personality Test Ah, we all knew someone would take it this far. . .
Berg Died for Bush, Rumsfeld 'Sins' - Father "My son died for the sins of George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld. This administration did this," Berg said in an interview with radio station KYW-AM.Ass. Kerry's Tailspin Continues I'm loving every minute of it! A growing majority of voters are unhappy with the way things are going in Iraq, but that is not helping Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, who trails or is statistically tied with President Bush in most surveys.So let's break this down into pure political terms. Gas prices are at $2/gallon, our military is being disgraced with the prison scandal, our troops are dying in Iraq, terrorism is on the rise, and the person America feels most comfortable to resolve the situation is. . . George W. Bush. That should tell you something about what America thinks not only of John Kerry, but of President Bush as well. As the coming months approach, our military will recover, Iraq will calm, gas prices will drop, the economy will continue to outpace expectations, jobs will be created, terrorists will drop like flies, the Republican convention will be held on the anniversary of 9/11, yada yada yada. Kerry is toast. The VP nod, buttah. Israel Kills 12 In retaliation for the death of six IDF soldiers earlier this week, Israeli soldiers not only destroyed homes and streets within the neighborhood of Zeitoun, they refused to allow rescue workers, aid, and journalists into the area: In the Rafah refugee camp, at the southern end of the Gaza Strip, at least 12 Palestinians were killed and scores wounded as troops searched for the remains of five soldiers blown up by Palestinian fighters. The bodies were ripped apart and spread across a wide area.Now before we dismiss this as business-as-usual, let's take a look at the real damage: Paul McCann, a spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, said that in 48 hours in Zeitoun, 15 people had been killed and 226 injured. Sixteen families had been made homeless and a further 32 families had had their homes damaged. He said it was not yet possible to asses the damage in Rafah.The question now remains as before. Why does the IDF continue to punish Palestinian civilians for the acts of Islamic terrorists? At best, the Israelis are being sloppy. At worst (and this is more than likely the case), the Israelis really don't care. A terrorist is a Palestinian is a terrorist after all. . . Krauthammer on Abu Grahib This is an excellent slam dunk on the hypocrisy the Democrats are showing towards Secretary Rumsfeld and the Abu Grahib prison problem: Democrats calling for Donald Rumsfeld's resignation invoke the principle of ministerial responsibility: a Cabinet secretary must take ultimate responsibility for what happens on his watch. Interesting idea. Where was it in 1993 when the attorney general of the United States ordered the attack on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, which ended in the deaths of 76 people?Well done and well said. The call for Rumsfeld's head is nothing more than gutter politicking, pure and simple. Good call on Krauthammer for calling the anti-Bush Dems on it. Thursday, May 13, 2004HERE COME THE CICADAS! Yay. How could anything so stupid and clumsy survive, and prosper in such huge numbers? Billions, probably trillions, of cicadas are emerging this month across the eastern United States in a monster swarm known as Brood X or brood 10.It makes me feel comforted that somewhere out there, some scientist that has devoted a good deal of his or her life to cicadas are currently enjoying their six weeks of fame. At least until the bugs die off and we have to wait for the next major brood to come along. Wednesday, May 12, 2004Party Set for Andy Kaufman, Just in Case For some odd reason, I am an Andy Kaufmann fan. Not because I enjoy following him around from point A to point B, or that I have every routine he's ever done stashed away somewhere, but rather I enjoyed his style of entertainment. He knew exactly how to play his audience - and sometimes give them what they deserved. In short, he offered experiences as an alternative to the mindless entertainment one might get from a television show or something. So when I see something like this, my ears perk up: Andy Kaufman died of lung cancer on May 16, 1984, but according to legend, the eccentric comedian said if he were faking, he'd resurface 20 years later to the day.Is Kaufmann dead? Who knows? But Tony Clifton will always be with us. . . I'm back! Yes, not only was the computer fragged, but once I had it returned, the cable internet was out as well. No worries though - all has returned to normal and blogging can resume (not to mention all of the work that I have to do - starting with the St. Mary's website). Thursday, May 06, 2004The Hypocrisy of the Anti-War Left (or the Families Whose Sisters are Caught Torturing Iraqis) Now this gets my dander up in a big way. The family of one Spc. Lynndie England pictured in some of the photographs surrounding the treatment of Iraqi POWs have decided to defend their daughter's actions: "It's ridiculous," said Destiny Goin, 21, who has lived with England's extended family since high school and considers herself England's sister.Now I can understand a willingness to defend a family member. No problems there. But what I do have a problem with is this: Goin said England and the six soldiers who have been charged are "scapegoats -- that's what they're being used for."Now let me get this straight. Your sister is caught torturing Iraqis, grinning behind a human pyramid of POWs and gesticulating towards their genitals with a thumbs-up and a cigarette hanging from a grin on her face, and it reflects on President Bush's war record? Of course, what is sad isn't that this case is being made, but rather that anti-war peacemongers are once again stuffing their foots in their mouths and using this argumentation to prove their point. That point being, they hate the President. This article just says so much about our culture of dependence, our lack of responsibility, shifting of priorities, and our predisposition for hyperbole and ad hominem argumentation. Disappointing to the point of anger. Tuesday, May 04, 2004Grandma Update Nanny woke up yesterday, talking and everything. She recognized me and Jonathan, but didn't recognize Matthew or Missy. She still thought I lived at her house, thought that Matthew was my daughter, but was aware enough to tell me where the Oreos were on the back porch and to ask for a ham sandwich (no mayo, lettuce only). And cigarettes. In short, the roller coaster continues. But the "brink of death" scenarios don't seem to be playing out. Of course this could change, but it's still good to see my grandmother doing better than before. I didn't realize what a toll it has taken on my though - last night after I visited her, I slept from about 6:30pm to 7:00 this morning. 12 hours. . . Then there is the ol' laptop. It's making noises. So I evaded the virus, yet the bearings on my hard drive are out. So that will cost me a good chunk of change to repair. So if the blogging and e-mail is light, you know why. The Interactive Philosophy Quiz Here we go. . . time to test your knowledge of all things philosophy. Three skill levels, and you can adjust the time the computer can research as well. Have fun! EDIT: Advanced Arthur is trading with me evenly. It seems as if when you are really outpacing him, the computer just seems to come back strong. . . the insults though are hilarious! The Thinking (Drinking?) Man's Chess Game Now I don't know about you, but four years ago this would have been great!  RULES of Shot Glass ChessAlas, I am not as strong as I used to be. . . but this certainly deters any quick checkmate. No more sacrificing pawns either. . . Workers pick internet over caffeine Thus the beauty of being a commuter. With the intenet so far away in Washington, you have at least an hour to enjoy the delights of caffeine before you even get to work! Of course, there are drawbacks. . . MORE workers would rather give up their morning coffee than their internet access, but employers should probably question why they love it so much.Now to me, this shouldn't mean that people are not being more productive, but rather that the workplace is probaby the least productive place to get work done. Why? Because clearly (1) people are doing other things while (2) meeting the expectations of employers. Of course, this is going to get me on a rant concerning leisure time vs. productivity, so I'll stop here. Now if I had more caffeine in my system. . . D-Day's success had its beginnings in a deadly debacle at sea Good op-ed in today's FLS, and one that has meaning in our time concerning the war on terror: Slapton Sands, while a disaster, did teach the Allies lessons. It reinforced the understanding that the Germans could strike at will, and that proper escorts for our landing ships were necessary. As a result, added plans for naval escorts and air cover to protect the D-Day Armada were drawn.
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JEFFERSONIAD POLL: Whom do you support for Virginia Attorney General?1) John Brownlee2) Ken Cuccinelli AboutShaunKenney.com is one of Virginia's oldest political blogs, focusing on the role of religion and politics in public life. Shaun Kenney, 30, lives in Fluvanna County, Virginia.ContactThe Jeffersoniad
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