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Tuesday, November 30, 2004Willingham Out at ND 21-15 in three seasons Heck, I have a newborn daughter in the hospital right now. What could be important enough to draw my attention? The University of Notre Dame announced today that Tyrone Willingham will not be retained as its head football coach.Dumb move. Willingham will go elsewhere and thrive. This is almost as disconcerting as those rumors that Joe Gibbs is going to call it quits after this season. Caroline Elizabeth Kenney Caroline was born last night at 10:00pm, weighed 5lbs. 9oz., and is 19 inches long! And cute too! Monday, November 29, 2004Early labor. . . then back again! So we went to the hospital late last night. Missy's contractions were 5-6 minutes apart and 4cm dialated. The first nurse said stick around and walk, the second nurse said go back home, rest, and come back in the morning. We call the doctor this morning, and the nurse there says we should have stayed at the hospital and we need to go back. So off we go. . . In any event, I'll be on baby watch. In the meantime, here's some of the more interesting thins I read this morning! Alexander the (not so) Great fails to conquer America's homophobes http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=587778 A lame apologia for the failure of Alexander to perform at the box office due to a brief emphasis on Hephaestion. Big deal. I haven't seen the movie, but the criticism doesn't seem to be emphasized on a kiss between two guys. More like three hours of time most folks want refunded. As a history buff, I'll probably see the movie at some point and come to my own conclusions, but much like Troy, we can expect another not-so-cheap imitator of Gladiator. They knew they were right: Pius IX and Caesaropapism http://www.lewrockwell.com/spectator2/spec521.html Historically, the problem of the Catholic Church in the 19th century was to protect its own independence from the power of the state, not only in Italy but throughout Europe. The ultimate aim of ultra- montanism, with which Pio Nono is so closely (and mostly polemically) identified today, was to free the Church from national secular control by binding it more closely to a supranational papacy. In this, the movement was largely successful; it can also be argued that it left the Church in a more fit condition for its 20th-century resistance to totalitarianisms of both Left and Right. Pio Nono’s resistance to the Risorgimento was a useful preparatory exercise for John Paul’s more massive achievement in his epic confrontation with communism. Without a strong and supranational papacy could the Soviet bloc have been brought down as soon as it was? Discuss.A great article from the Spectator revolving around Pius IX and the efforts of the First Vatican Council. Worth reading and sharing with others. O'Reilly: Dan Rather got smeared http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/257225p-220135c.html Bill O'Reilly breaks out the crying towels. He even rips off this little quip: Let me ask you something: In the future, do you think potential public servants and social crusaders are going to risk being brutally attacked within this insane system? I don't. I think many good people are simply going to walk away from the public arena.First off, there is no such thing as "unfair speech." Bad speech? Yes. But the best weapon against bad speech is good speech. Which leads me to the former and point #2. Will potential public servants be scared away? Things were much worse in the 19th century in terms of civility and integrity within the system. Did people walk away from the public process then? No. As a professed Catholic (albeit one who supports homosexual marriage), O'Reilly should be very well aware that during times of crisis, the Church produces her greatest saints. Likewise public service in times of corruption or turmoil. As a matter of fact, such a condition just might separate the weak-hearted do-gooders from the ones who really want to do the right thing regardless of the personal cost. Councilman Kelly and Howard University http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2004/112004/11292004/1575990 When I helped Matt out in the 2002 City Council election, he mentioned this to me on a number of occasions. Pretty cool stuff. A staunch abolitionist on his mother's side not only served as a Union general, but after the Civil War headed up the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands--the federal agency created to help former slaves.Very good article, read it when you get a chance. Or even better, talk to Matt and get even more history. It's great stuff. Sunday, November 28, 2004Paralyzed woman walks again after stem cell therapy "We were all surprised" A good first step, as it would prove to be the first real application of stem cells in a patient: Hwang Mi-Soon, 37, had been bedridden since damaging her back in an accident two decades ago.What makes this more amazing is that the patient was paralyzed for 20 years and could still recover. This is the first case using stem cells that has come to light as producing positive effects, and would be a remarkable acheivement if it can be followed up. Intellectually Monochrome Academia George Will and the "False Consensus Effect" Everything I have ever suspected or thought about modern American academic elites: When John Kennedy brought to Washington such academics as Arthur Schlesinger Jr., John Kenneth Galbraith, McGeorge and William Bundy and Walt Rostow, it was said that the Charles River was flowing into the Potomac. Actually, Richard Nixon's administration had an even more distinguished academic cast -- Henry Kissinger, Pat Moynihan, Arthur Burns, James Schlesinger and others.If there is one item that would prevent me from returning to university, it would be this problem right here. It's rare to find good, solid professors. It is more often that one finds professors and academics beholden to 10 years of their private thesis work or some other benign cause and little else. I don't particularly mind that academia leans one way or the other on the political spectrum. But what I do mind is when they are so fanatically beholden to that ideology that they squash other mindsets. This doesn't mean one should expect professors to be faceless, but it does mean that one should expect a pedigree that one expects from an educated person. Interesting article. Friday, November 26, 2004Codebreakers Hot on the Trail of the Holy Grail? Priory of Sion code - "Jesus (As Deity) Defy" Interesting: For 250 years, the cryptic inscription has exercised the minds of Britain's finest theologians, historians and scientists, including Charles Darwin, Josiah Wedgwood and, most recently, the Second World War code-breakers of Bletchley Park. Thursday, November 25, 2004Words from Washington: Declaration from 1789 Could we possibly see a modern US president issuing a similar statement today without being blasted as a relgious nutjob? How far have we come and to what end? Courtesy of the Telegraph Forum: Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me 'to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:' Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us. And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best. Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789. -- G. Washington HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Tuesday, November 23, 2004Turn Your Back on Bush "We don't need puppets, we just need people" I remember back in 1998 when folks in the Virginia General Assembly turned their backs when Speaker Moss was pushed through. Democrats howled then, so I wonder which set of sensibilities changed? On January 20th, 2005, we're calling for a new kind of action. The Bush administration has been successful at keeping protesters away from major events in the last few years by closing off areas around events and using questionable legal strategies to outlaw public dissent. We can use these obstacles to develop new tactics. On Inauguration day, we don't need banners, we don't need signs, we don't need puppets, we just need people.Puppets is what you're asking for, and puppets is what you shall receive. I wonder how embarassing it will be when few if any answer the call? Monday, November 22, 2004Security services foil 9/11 attack in UK al-Qaeda suspected; information revealed before UK Parliament vote Hurrah for the security forces of the UK. But I wonder about the timing of revealing such information before a vote that will inevitably impune upon the civil rights of British citizens: The plot is said to have involved pilots being trained to fly into target buildings including London's famous financial centre and the world's busiest airport.I'd raise an eyebrow. One of the other moves this crime package will introduce to British citizens is a national ID card. Sunday, November 21, 2004Whom does FDA serve and protect? Federal oversight requested The recent controversy over the safety of Vioxx has opened up the question as to precisely whom the FDA is looking out for, and whether or not there nees to be an independent oversight of the agency: His explosive remarks -- he compared heart attacks allegedly caused by the Vioxx painkiller to 'aircraft dropping from the sky' -- also now place the FDA under unprecedented pressure to overhaul how it regulates an industry that sells more than $200 billion worth of prescription drugs every year. One idea already gaining steam in Congress is to create an independent panel to oversee the agency's safety activities.I agree. Who should do the oversight? I would take a focus group of existing government agencies such as DEA, ONDCP, and NIH and let them re-establish some of the procedures for safety and testing. I remember when mifepristone was rammed through the FDA. . . there are other drugs that we can mention where sufficient oversight does not exist. At some point, we have to hit the restart button. EDIT: If you click on the link, the title of the article is "Who does the FDA protect," which is bad grammar. If the FDA helps him, then you ask whom. Ah, journalists. . . Saturday, November 20, 2004Palace Brawl Was 'Ugly Scene,' Says Pistons President Players, Fans Exchange Punches In Stands For those of you not privy to the rumble in Detroit the other night, we have here the video of the event: Officials stopped the game with 45.9 seconds remaining after pushing and shoving between the teams spilled into the stands once fans got involved by throwing things at the players near the scorer's table.If you do not have the ability to check the video, it's pretty bad. Players charging the stands, chasing after fans, fans retaliating and going out on the court, police, etc. What a mess. Unfortunately, now that the taboo has been broken, I wonder how often we can expect these such events? Hopefully this will be the last time, but you do have to mention one item of interest - there is very little that the police could do to hold back the fans. And there weren't that many fans. That could not have been comfortable for the non-combatants on the floor. Friday, November 19, 2004Kerry Blames Loss on Osama Tape Says security issues hurt him the most Senator Kerry blames, not moral values, but Osama bin Laden and homeland security: Trying to recount Kerry's words verbatim, Rivera said Kerry responded by saying:Perhaps. But I would be so short-sighted about the security issue. This was a chronic problem of the Kerry campaign, and their inability to repair it was the ultimate downfall. The moral issues only added fuel to the fire. Of course, the lesson for conservatives here is that moral issues did not carry the day. A hawkish view of America in the world that attacks terrorists and promotes freedom is what carried the day. It was the revolutionary spirit of America that beat out the pacifist, passive isolationism America always contains instinctively. The culture war rages on. . . Thursday, November 18, 2004For your viewing pleasure, this is just an extremely interesting string of events. Spurrier to South Carolina Gamecocks' Holtz to retire (maybe) I'm not ashamed to say it. I am a Steve Spurrier fan. I believe in the Fun n' Gun offense, and I think it works. There. I'm outted as a runnin' and gunnin' fool. So I was rather pleased when I read this morning that Spurrier was returning to college ball as head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks: Steve Spurrier, who guided Florida to six SEC championships and a national championship in his 12 years in Gainesville, has agreed in principle to take over at South Carolina for Lou Holtz as the Gamecocks' head coach, a source close to the situation told The Tennessean last night.Awesome. Now Holtz has to keep his end of the deal and retire. Not that I am not a Holtz fan, but I can wait for Spurrier to unleash the Fun n' Gun on the SEC again. Aww yeah. . . Writing this from a Starbucks along Rt. 3 in Fredericksburg. Not too shabby - first time I have ever done this before, and the connection isn't half bad. Wednesday, November 17, 2004Democrats question Kerry's campaign nest egg $15 million? Some Democrats are wondering why Kerry held back $15 million dollars in his campaign warchest. Good question. Democratic Party leaders said Wednesday they want to know why Sen. John Kerry ended his presidential campaign with more than $15 million in the bank, money that could have helped Democratic candidates across the country.Two possible explanations: (1) Kerry wanted to save the money for probable legal challenges in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. (2) Kerry knew he was going to lose. Now here's what I don't get. Kerry doesn't need the money, does he? So why hang onto money that you don't need? I'll bet there is a probable explanation to this. Not that it would make sore Democrats happy. But 3.5 million people is a heck of a hill to climb. Maybe internally they saw the writing on the wall and gave up? I doubt it, but maybe so. We'll see. I don't get it, but we'll see. . . A Tale of Two Maps Spectrum of voters vs. population density Everyone has already seen the red/blue state maps by now, and everyone has more than likely seen the population density map out of Princeton. Patrick Cox of Tech Central Station has a revealing contrast between voting trends and population density: Comparisons of these two maps make startlingly obvious the extent to which population density predicts voter behavior. Though not a perfect match, the relationship is undeniable -- and ultimately enigmatic.Interesting hypothesis. It certainly reminds me of the Jeffersonian dictum that the American Republic will survive best as an argarian society. The statistician's perennial caveat is that "correlation is not causation." but there is little doubt that there is connection, largely unexplained, between ideology and demography. Depressingly deterministic as it is, this correlation, if it continues, may mean that future elections will be decided by immigration patterns, reproductive rates and technologies that allow more businesses and workers to locate in suburban and rural locations.I would love to read a study that explains why this is. No question in my mind that cities do indeed encourage more socialist trends of polity, while rural societies ask for more individualist tendencies (Jefferson was right). A study or a good book as to why this would certainly be a tremendous thing to have. Tuesday, November 16, 2004Sorry for the light blogging today. On top of not feeling too well (third time I have been sick over the fall), there's been a bit of work going on. Plus, Missy went to the doctor today. 1.5 inches dilated, and the doctors are saying "any time now." Which is a good thing! I can't wait!!! In other news, the Spotsylvania Republican Committee will not support a 2% tax hike on gasoline to pay for the VRE. Period. Nor will we be supporting a property tax hike, especially after last year's reassessments disproportionately punished Lake Anna residents, as well as having to shoulder the $1.2 billion dollar Virginia tax hike this year. There's a tax revolt brewing in Virginia this year. . . more later. Monday, November 15, 2004Hope for Virginia Democrats in '05? Only if Kilgore endorses the 17 incumbents Virginia Democrats take note. Jim Bowden has accurately pegged the doomsday scenario that will ruin the GOP's chances of taking back the Governor's Mansion. How? Well, it's not quite a perfect storm scenario, but it's awful close: Nothing is in the bag for the future. Democrats, take heart, you can win the gubernatorial election and seats in the General Assembly in 05. Please note, I didn't say "Liberals" can win. Gov. Mark Warner ran as a conservative. Republicans will have a short civil war in '05 and '07 as we determine if our delegates and senators must live up to Virginia Republican Creed - lower taxes and limited government - or not. Attorney General Jerry Kilgore is endorsed by every Republican down to assistant precinct captain. Yet, how can he be the 'take back the tax hike' candidate if he mutually endorses the 17 House of Delegates' incumbents who raised our taxes in a year we had a budget surplus. Furthermore, if Kilgore doesn't run as a 'take back the tax hike' candidate, then why, oh why, vote Republican in 05?There's your trade. It's Arlen Specter in Pennsylvania all over again. Bush endorsed the moderate and still failed to carry Pennsylvania. Not only that, but now Specter is a thorn in the side of the president on judicial nominees, etc. Same in 2005 for Virginia Republicans. If we don't run on the singular issue of 'take back the tax hike', then we're sunk. How am I going to get people riled up if the choices in November are between Democrat and Democrat-Lite on the tax issue? It'll get interesting before it gets resolved, that's for sure. Secretary of State Powell to Resign "I believe that now that the election is over, the time has come for me to step down" Colin Powell tendered his resignation today, taking effect after a replacement is found: Secretary of State Colin Powell and three other Cabinet members have resigned, it was disclosed Monday, escalating the shake-up of President Bush's second-term team. Senior administration officials said national security adviser Condoleezza Rice was most likely to succeed Powell.Frankly, I don't blame Powell for stepping down in the first place. If the condition of the State Department is indicative of the headache Powell has had to deal with over the past four years, I'd have resigned as well. Of course, whoever takes over will have free reign to hopefully start whittling down the UN-oriented influence at the State Department. Rice, Danforth, and a host of candidates would be ideal. Naturally the liberals have taken the resignations over the past week as a "rats leaving the ship" spin. Perhaps so, but unlikely. It will provide President Bush with a new emphasis and focus during his second term in some of the very areas where it is most needed (Justice, State, and Education), something I'm sure the still-traumatized left is trepadaciously awaiting as their sacred bureaucratic cows get prepped for processing as hamburgers. Mr. Woo If you have seven minutes to burn, you have got to check this out. Awesome. Sunday, November 14, 2004Christians in Palestine Concerned About Their Future Analysis of Correspondent in the Holy Land Typically I don't repost whole articles, but the fate of the Palestinian Christian community is one often lost in debates that characterize the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as one of Jews against Muslims. This article highlights the oft-forgotten Palestinian Christian community's dire straits rather well. JERUSALEM, NOV. 12, 2004 (Zenit.org).- While Yasser Arafat's burial was taking place in the Mukata of Ramallah, Christians of the Palestinian territories were wondering about their future. Having become a small minority -- 50,000 in the midst of more than 3 million Muslims --, the death of the president of the Palestinian National Authority has come at a time when the political, administrative, and police structures often discriminate against them," explained Graziano Motta, correspondent in the Holy Land of Vatican Radio and of the Italian newspaper Avvenire. "They have been continually exposed to pressures by Muslim activists and have been forced to profess fidelity to the intifada," the journalist reported. "Frequently, there are cases in which the Muslims expropriate houses and lands belonging to Catholics, and often the intervention of the authorities has been lacking in addressing acts of violence against young women or offenses against the Christian faith," Motta indicated. On several occasions, His Beatitude Michel Sabbah, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, who headed the Holy See delegation at Arafat's funeral, personally asked the deceased leader to intervene, and had established with him "a friendly and direct relationship," he continued. "On occasions he intervened in some discussions between Christians and Muslims, especially in the region of Bethlehem, to proffer a solution and redress relations," the patriarch himself said on Thursday on Vatican Radio. However, he did not always succeed as sometimes Arafat could not count on the obedience of the men of his apparatus. "Arafat leaves Christians, and Catholics in particular, an ambiguous and potentially negative heritage in regard to long-term relations with the state entity," he added. "Considering Christians a part of the Arab socio-political reality in the struggle for independence, he tried to involve them as much as possible, exalting Palestine as Holy Land due to the presence of holy sites for Muslims and Christians, but without ever mentioning the Jews," he said. "And he ignored -- and in practice boycotted -- the proposal of a special status for the Jewish, Christians, and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. In the name of Islam, he was firm in his claim for Palestine's exclusive sovereignty over the Holy City (Al-Quds)." "He approved the draft of a Constitutional Charter for the future Palestinian state which did not take into account the secular and plural characteristic (that he said he promoted) to affirm the Muslim character," the correspondent noted. "This is in potential contradiction with the commitments assumed in the Basic Agreement between the Holy See and the Palestine Liberation Organization in 2000, which he promoted to imitate the Fundamental Agreement of 1993 between the Holy See and Israel," he stressed. This agreement "affirms the equality of all citizens, regardless of their religious faith, and respect of their freedom of religion and conscience." Fallujah Taken "(O)ccupied but not subdued." The Iraqi government is proclaiming victory over the insurgents in Fallujah, with the American military saying that it will take several more days to mop up the remaining pockets of resistance: U.S. military officials said Saturday that American troops had now 'occupied' the entire city of Fallujah and there were no more major concentrations of insurgents still fighting after nearly a week of intense urban combat.What's most notable about the operation are the efforts of the insurgency to create chaos throughout Iraq - and how it failed miserably. No doubt the anti-war press et al. will paint this in a certain light, but the efforts of both the Marines and most notably the Iraqi security forces should be highlighted. There was no uprising of insurgents creating chaos by sacking Fallujah. It speaks volumes to the effectiveness of the insurgency and the Iraqi nationals. Rapper ODB Dead at 36 Collapsed inside recording studio ODB, for those who do not know whom this fine gentleman is, is "Ol' Dirty Bastard," he was a member of the Wu-Tang Clan. Known for his lyrics, style, and well. . . his lyrics, ODB is not recommended for. . . well, anyone. ODB, whose legal name was Russell Jones, collapsed and died inside a Manhattan recording studio Saturday. He was 35. A spokesman for his record label said he'd complained of chest pains before collapsing. The spokesman said by the time paramedics reached him, he was dead.I'd say that I could appreciate his contribution to music, but it's a genre that I really don't enjoy. Plus, when all you sing about is drugs, hookers, and thugs, I tend to look elsewhere for entertainment. Looking forward to the FARK headline. . . Friday, November 12, 2004Archbishop Pell on Democractic Personalism "Democracy is never unqualified." A point well taken, if we understand it in context: Democracy is never unqualified. We are used to speaking of 'liberal democracy' which as currently understood is a synonym for 'secular democracy'. In Europe there are parties advocating 'Christian Democracy'. Lately there has been interest in the possibility of 'Islamic democracy'. These descriptors do not simply refer to how democracy might be constituted, but to the moral vision democracy is intended to serve.Pell is of course correct. Democracy is a force like any other that embodies the values of those who participate. Pell goes on to describe some of the pitfalls of "secular democracy" while offering a substitute of "democratic personalism" that in essence merges the idea of democracy with the value of the human person as a paramount good. An excellent idea; one that finds its first roots in a Thomistic tradition. Whether or not secular culture is willing to accept this first principle of human dignity remains to be seen. It is a rallying cry nonetheless for those defending the culture of life, but not necessarily the solution. Time will tell the tale. There is a great debate raging in Australia concerning the direction and purpose of the individual within civil society. Too bad we can't have that honest cultural debate here in America without resorting to the polemics and hyperbole for which we seem to be famous. Thursday, November 11, 2004Arafat Dead at 75 Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, a symbol of statehood to his people and of Satan to many Israelis, died early Thursday morning at a Paris military hospital at age 75. UPDATE: A longer article on Yasser Arafat located here: "As long as the world saw Palestinians as no more than refugees standing in line for U.N. rations, it was not likely to respect them. Now that the Palestinians carry rifles the situation has changed," Arafat explained.A pointed symbol, but one of a peacemaker? It will be interesting to see how the history books write of Arafat. Thrusting guns into the hands of militants in order to gain respect? If this is his most notable acheivement, then how does this bode well for the peace process? For peace anywhere? I worry. Needlessly perhaps, but this isn't an unremarkable event. Without an heir or successor, Arafat's legacy is no longer that of peace, but one of resistance. Which will the Palestinians emphasize? More accurately, which will Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the al-Asqa brigades respect? Praying for peace in the Holy Land. . . Wednesday, November 10, 2004The reality of intimidation Eric Wang's experience with Philadelphia Democrats Now this is one of the more interesting, on the ground accounts of voter intimidation I have read: At the end of the day, I was cornered in a parking lot by roughly 10 large men, whom the police later identified as 'union goons.' After trying to tip over the minivan I was sharing with another attorney, punching it relentlessly, breaking parts off and failing to drag us out, they chased us in and out of the dense urban traffic in their high-powered SUVs. Only after a frantic 911 call and a police roadblock were our assailants apprehended.Indeed. Wang's experience isn't alone in the caricature of Democratic harassment being painted through personal accounts: While Democrats portrayed our ballot protection efforts as suppressing and intimidating minority voters, the real violence was directed against us -- the election monitors. In fact, for the most part, we got along fine in the black neighborhoods until an all-white mob tried to beat us up.Thankfully, in Spotsylvania and the surrounding localities we did not experience the same voter intimidation, and for the civility area politicos deserve praise. That having been said, it's unfortunate the media at large doesn't feel as if this sort of misbehavior is newsworthy. Tuesday, November 09, 2004Bush's Secularist Triumph The left apologizes for religious fanatics. The president fights them. A surprising opinion piece from Slate.com of all places: So here is what I want to say on the absolutely crucial matter of secularism. Only one faction in American politics has found itself able to make excuses for the kind of religious fanaticism that immediately menaces us in the here and now. And that faction, I am sorry and furious to say, is the left. From the first day of the immolation of the World Trade Center, right down to the present moment, a gallery of pseudointellectuals has been willing to represent the worst face of Islam as the voice of the oppressed. How can these people bear to reread their own propaganda?Ouch. And that came from Christopher Hitchens, too. Schrodinger's Cat or, is Arafat dead? Analogous to Schrodinger's infamous cat, the world is getting conflicting reports as to whether Yasser Arafat is alive or dead. To learn more about Schrodinger's Cat (an analogy he used to prove the silliness of quantum superposition that backfired, as it is used today by quantum physicists everywhere), click here. Moore means less "Not since Moby Dick has a great white whale been so bloodily harpooned" In 2000, Mr Moore's support for Ralph Nader helped lose Florida for Al Gore. This time, he boosted President Bush by outraging Middle America. Take a bow, Mike: you've done it again.Well, at least they've gone from hating conservatives to eating their own. An improvement? Not quite - they'll come back for us soon enough. The question in my mind is what have the Democrats learned? I'd like to think they are going to take a collective step to the right, but will they? Time will tell. Monday, November 08, 2004Environmentalists Push for Green Stadium "We're talking potentially a lot of water pollution from a stadium" I dunno how I feel about this. Is this another instance of environmentalists sticking their nose where they ideally don't belong? Or is this one of the most innovative ways of cleaning up the Anacostia River that I have ever seen? Environmental groups have a color in mind for the baseball stadium proposed for the Montreal Expos. They want it to be green - inside and out.I tend to lean towards the latter. Anyone who has driven past the Navy Yard knows what kind of stink we are talking about coming from the Anacostia River. This could be a real opportunity to clean the river up. Sunday, November 07, 2004American Forces Prepare Siege of Fallujah 60 day state of emergency in Iraq Here it comes - the final battle to break the back of the terrorists in Iraq: As American troops began final preparations for battle in Fallujah, commanders warned them to expect the most brutal urban fighting since the Vietnam War. The U.S. command announced it had sealed off Fallujah and was "finishing final preparations for an assault" on the city.Hammer Iraq, let the insurgents feel safe, collect themselves in certain areas, then hit the hornet's nest hard. There was an article that I found in March of last year that went into detail about how insurgencies in the past were destroyed or beaten. If I can find it again, I'll post it. Katherine Anastasia Kenney 7lbs, 9oz, 21 inches - 12:22pm! No no. . . Missy hasn't had the baby yet. But Chris and Carrie brought my niece into the world today at about noon! Cute kid! Dark wavy hair, open eyes, cheeks, lips, and a kicker too. I don't know how Carrie survived, but she did! Woohoo! Now it's three more weeks until Missy is due. Aww yeah! Saturday, November 06, 2004Democrats Still Reeling from Tuesday GOP Victory No real leader, no tangible ideology It seems as if the Democratic leadership is in a tailspin, with the worrying proposition that the Democratic Party might regulate itself into a perpetual minority party status: Democrats also have no strong leader to pull the party out of the wilderness.Much tension between the radical liberal wing of the party, and the moderate-liberal Clinton wing. It will be interesting to see which wing sets the new tone, but it seems that at the moment, the 60s radicals are in no mood to surrender the fight within their own party. Could get interesting. Stay tuned! Friday, November 05, 2004Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith May 19th, 2005 Okay, so I'm a geek. But I am also a geek that knows where you can find mirrors to the trailers for the next Star Wars movie! 65% of new voters voted Republican GOP wildly successful among new voters Now this is brutal, cold reality: When you put the numbers in that context, you see that Bush was actually hugely more successful at the margins in his combination of bringing new voters to the polls and convincing more people to switch to him than away from him. Remember that next time you hear that high turnout always and everywhere favors the Democrats.65% of new voters breaking Republican. That's not just big - that's huge. Dems in Disarray "(M)ust maintain their intensity; they must not succumb to defeatism" Paul Krugman of the New York Times is imbibing at the fountain of Kool-Aid the radical left seems to be providing itself post-election. In an incredible twist, the shrill voice of the radical left is not a return to the more moderate Clinton-era policies of the 1990's, but rather the radicals are doing everything possible to stem their own demise and fight on: One faction of the party is already calling for the Democrats to blur the differences between themselves and the Republicans. Or at least that's what I think Al From of the Democratic Leadership Council means when he says, 'We've got to close the cultural gap.' But that's a losing proposition.So again, more of the same. Fearmongering, peacemongering, and a visceral hatred of those whom the Democratic Party is supposed to champion - the poor, the underprivledged, and the uneducated. If I have to hear the "redneck" epithet one more time, I'm gonna scream. Not out of frustration mind you, but as a prelude to hysterical laughter. That's a Democratic left that simply doesn't get it, and it will mean years of GOP dominance if the radicals maintain control of the party. The good news for Virginia Democrats is that there are far more conservative and moderate Democrats than there are radical liberals. The realignment will start in the South for the Democratic Party, with Barack Obama and John Edwards leading the pack. The era of the '60s liberal is dead, dead, dead. Tuesday was a victory for middle America without question. Just as Dems are trying to realize what must be done, Republicans are starting to realize that the old myth of higher turnout benefiting Democrats is a myth. There really are more Republicans in America than Democrats, and they share some fairly conservative themes. I could give my thoughts as to what the Dems must do to survive, but I'll refrain. I'm more interested to see which wing of the party wins out over the heart-and-sould of the Democratic Party. Moderates will win in Virginia, but I wonder what happens nationwide. . . Thursday, November 04, 2004Why Bush Won Bible Belt proves to be a more of a Bible Vest Of course, the tremendous GOP victory on Tuesday is already being decried by radical liberal die-hards as a triumph of those poor, uneducated rednecks -- the very people the Democratic Party is supposed to champion. Make no mistake, Tuesday's victory was a victory for middle America. Rural Americans made their voices heard loud and clear. "Realignment" is the code word of the day, and 60's radicalism is dead, dead, dead. Even the Dems know this, as there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the left today: The next day, all any of my liberal New York activist colleagues could talk about was what a swaggering, arrogant, macho prick Bush came off as. After all, in our circles, men who don't exhibit empathy and interpersonal communication skills aren't very well thought of (though they do seem to get laid at about the same rate as the rest of us). However, what most of us artsy middle-class professional PoMo bohemian/yuppie types, with our highlighted hair and carefully-chosen thrift-store ensembles, failed to realize is that Bush's base of support goes beyond the 'I got mine' conservatives with their SUVs and $400,000 tract homes that they can't afford to furnish, the gun nuts with their AR-15s, and the Christian theocrats with their red-letter Bibles open to Genesis 19. Bush couldn't have won as big as he did without the support of ordinary people who work in offices in fear of their bosses and their mortgages and getting laid off.Swaggering? Macho prick? Note to self: when the Democrats identify you as a "swaggering, arrogant, macho prick," they really mean that you came off as a genuine, effective leader. No surprise that the radical left is lamenting their demise. Obama and Edwards now seem to be the new heart of the Democratic Party - a face that is more moderate and more reflective of the Clinton era than the Ted Kennedy liberals of the past. Realignment is right. What's more is that locally, the Spotsylvania GOP came into its own. 10,000 more votes that the previous election, beating the increase of population by 3,000 votes. Stafford put up similar numbers, and in the left-leaning City of Fredericksburg, the GOP won two of the four wards. Statewide, Virginia carried by 55% - good news for Kilgore and RPV. Overall, a tremendous election and great news for the conservative cause. Congratulations all! UPDATE: Sen. Christopher Dodd is lamenting the Democratic Party's current state of affairs: "We Democrats better think long and hard about what happened ... and how our party is going to connect with the hopes and aspirations of the people," Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., after watching Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D., an 18-year Senate veteran, go down in defeat. "We have lost the ability to connect with people's value systems and we're going to have to work to get that back."Don't worry, the Dems are smart enough to re-evaluate and get back to work. UPDATE x2: Not to pat myself on the back or anything, but it looks as if I called the election almost perfectly sans Hawaii. Thanks to Jon Street for the props! UPDATE x3: Virginia Democrats are in a tailspin after their stinging loss on Tuesday that had many pundits convinced otherwise, and congratulations to the Caroline GOP for carrying their county for the Republicans for the first time since 1972! Tuesday, November 02, 2004GO VOTE! Today is Election Day. We need your support for the president. Get out there and make yourself the promise to remind your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors that today is the day to show our support for the President! RE-ELECT PRESIDENT BUSH!
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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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