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Friday, December 31, 2004Happy New Year Here's to a Happy New Year! May God bless you and your family during the new year. ÜBER COOL VIDEO Don't know precisely why, but it is well done. A bit on the conspiracy theory side, but still pretty darn cool. One exception. When they insinuate "secret societies" and such, they show a pic of Bush shaking hands with the Knights of Columbus. I suppose this does a bit to boost the self-esteem of my brother knights, but unless Tootsie Rolls and Xmas trees make the world go 'round, I can't help but chuckle a bit. . . Looking for a good RSS Aggregator? Sharpreader RSS is free, and waiting for you This has to be the best one I have seen online in awhile. A quick and easy way to keep tabs on your blogs without having to surf the web for them. SharpReader RSS Aggregator I like it. Of course, don't forget to subscribe to ShaunKenney.com! Thursday, December 30, 2004Good News in 2004 America is healthier, cleaner, less violent, etc. You might have missed some of this thanks to the elections and mainstream media bombast, but here is some of the good news of 2004. FBI Probes Laser Beam Directed at Cockpit 15mi from Cleveland Hopkins I remember stories about lasers being directed at military helicopters while tracking Russian spy ships near Seattle. This sounds eerily familiar: 'It was in there for several seconds like (the plane) was being tracked,' FBI agent Robert Hawk said.Here's another good article with much more information: One such laser weapon is the Chinese-produced ZM-87 laser blinder which is designed to blind optics such as night vision equipment and the human eye. It has been displayed at defence exhibitions in Manila and Abu Dhabi. Wednesday, December 29, 2004Don't Bring a Rifle to a Tank Battle or what Army Tankers do to terrorists BOOM! Graphic, but you get the point. Tuesday, December 28, 2004Einstein Wrong About Gravity? JPL's Anderson uncovers a 24 year mystery John Anderson is a physicist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For the past 24 years he has been collecting data on the first two Pioneer satellites, and what he found is something rather astonishing: Rather than traveling at a constant velocity of more than 25,000 mph toward the edge of the solar system, Pioneers 10 and 11 were inexplicably slowing down. Even factoring in the gravitational pull of the sun and its other planets couldn't explain what he was seeing.What did he discover? The Pioneer Anomaly. Pioneer, it seems, was slowing down to the point where it was a quarter of a million miles slower than it should be. Planets and other sources of gravity were factored in, but scientists were stumped. The explanations? Either dark matter is slowing the spacecraft down, or we are wrong about gravity. The European Space Agency plans a mission to discover the reason for the anamoly in 2015. Great article. Philosophy of Liberty Presentation on life, liberty, and property This is a Flash animation that is particularly useful for those who are new to political philosophy, and especially to libertarian thought. Of course, I have a few problems with this. (1) No God, only many gods. There are two strands of libertarian thought. One that is rooted in the idea that we all have innate rights (a utilitarian perspective), and the other that we all have innate rights guarenteed to us by God (a natural law perspective). (2) Value and necessity. When you get into the presentation, there is a moment where it compares the free association of property, namely that if I give you a product of my labor, then you will compensate me with something - ideally of equal value. What is not explained here is that sometimes different things (art, music, literature) have far different values than others (water, food, energy). Are we obligated to set a fair price for our labor? Our products? This presentation doesn't address this problem. Furthermore, what of scenarios where we trade our labor for our time (life) or enter into contracts (liberty)? Do we violate some aspect of our humanity? Or are these contracts where we submit our authority to others natural? (3) The initiation of force. For starters, in general I believe in the principle of non-coercion. However, I do not believe that libertarians (particularly the ones of a utilitarian sort) understand or embrace what coercion really is. For instance, if I need food and water, I must work. Is that coercive? The situation is not, but what if in order to eat and drink you must work 18 hours a day, seven days a week. Is that coercive? According to utilitarian ethics, it is not because it is a freely chosen arrangement short of slavery. According to natural law ethics, it is indeed coercive. What's more, natural law ethicists would have the courage to call such a situation immoral, whereas utilitarians would not. Most libertarians today would classify "coercion" as war, simply because it's the most obvious example. Others would use goverment action such as policing, taxation, and regulation as examples of coercive behavior, but this is where utilitarians and natural law adherents part ways. Laws are designed to keep bad people from doing bad things to good people. So regulation prohibits someone from demanding an 18 hour workday for bread and water. Taxation provides protection from invaders and lends to the proper protection of society. Policing keeps bad people from harming good people, and exacting justice when they do. Utilitarians would see this as coercive behavior. Natural law adherents would not, and there is a reason why. . . (4) Who's #1? At the very beginning of this presentation, the argument is made that "self-ownership" means that you own yourself. No one else has a right to "you". Utilitarians see this as a natural decision. Natural law proponents argue otherwise. You are a steward of "you". God owns you, created you, and properly orders you and everything else. This is why in a society, laws can be made that foster good conduct (whereas a utilitarian would see this as coercion). Of course, natural law adherents would argue there is such a thing as excessive policing, excessive taxation, and excessive regulation. All three are inherently bad things, but they are a violation of what society should be - a virtuous mean between anarchy and tyrrany. THEREFORE, the strengths of the natural law position over the utilitarian position are shown. Utilitarianism has a dangerous fallacy in that it can lead directly towards objectifying human beings (i.e. turning people into tools or property in the pursuit of more property) rather than enhancing or fostering liberty. That's what societies do - they foster and protect the liberty we have. Utilitarianism also has a very dangerous habit of confusing liberty with license. Liberty isn't the ability to do as one pleases; liberty is the ability to do as one ought. The freedom to choose that route is where ideas of God, vocation, and value come into play once again, but that's another tutorial for a different day. . . Monday, December 27, 2004Our Challenges in the Year Ahead Hanson: What we learned from three years of war Victor Hanson writes for the Australian Financial Review: No American President this century suffered the level of slander as did George Bush in the recent campaign. Yet despite Moveon.org, George Soros, Michael Moore, European hysteria, and the Hollywood elite, Mr. Bush won both a clear popular and electoral majority. He increased Republican control of the Congress, strengthened margins in the state legislatures and governorships, and is poised to reconstruct the Supreme Court. Blue-state America is left licking its wounds of rejection while the Democratic Party is about to engage in a bloody round of finger pointing and intra-party strife. If no incumbent has been so slurred as George W. Bush, not since Franklin Roosevelt has a sitting President so tightened his hold on the reins of government.What follows is a remarkably accurate assessment of American policy both at home and abroad. A good read. Sunday, December 26, 2004Defeat Snatched From the Jaws of Victory Redskins 10, Cowboys 13. Unbelieveable. Not that it mattered; the Saints won, thus knocking the Skins out of playoff contention. But still. . . Saturday, December 25, 2004Redskins to the playoffs? Believe it. It's time to warm up the diesel: If Washington can win at Dallas this week, and the following pieces fall into place, the Redskins would be able to control their own fate and qualify for the playoffs with a Week 17 victory at home against Minnesota (which may already have the NFC North and a No. 3 seed wrapped up at that point):Still in doubt? The scenario gets better as Green Bay beat Minnesota 34-31 yesterday. WE WANT DALLAS! WE WANT DALLAS! WE WANT DALLAS! And just think, if it wasn't for that lousy pass interference call against T.O. two weeks ago, the bad call during the Green Bay game denying Clinton Portis is touchdown, and the horrible refereeing during the first Redskins-Cowboys game, we'd be 8-6 right now. Add to it the fact that the Skins are playing the best defense and offense of the year, the fact that Ramsey is quarterbacking, and the Redskins are hungry for wins. . . man, it could happen folks. . . GO SKINS!!!!! A Christmas Carol by G.K. Chesterton The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap, His hair was like a light. (O weary, weary were the world, But here is all aright.) The Christ-child lay on Mary's breast, His hair was like a star. (O stern and cunning are the kings, But here the true hearts are.) The Christ-child lay on Mary's heart, His hair was like a fire. (O weary, weary is the world, But here the world's desire.) The Christ-child stood on Mary's knee, His hair was like a crown, And all the flowers looked up at Him, And all the stars looked down. MERRY CHRISTMAS! In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin's name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, 'Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you.' But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.' -- Luke 1:26-33 Friday, December 24, 2004NORAD is tracking Santa! Yes indeed. Santa is being tracked on radar by NORAD right now. Leading the DNC? Young Democrats vs. Old Democrats I made the argument awhile back that in order to win, the Democrats had to recognize the failure of the '60s generation politics and move forward with more centrist, Clintonian views. In short, radical liberals had to recognize 2004 as a realignment year. It seems as if the younger generation of Democrats are getting the point. Post Office Hell On Lenin, Socialism, and manifested bureaucracy Gregory Bresiger remarks on his recent encounter with post office socialism: Lenin once dismissed the question of how socialism would work by pointing to the workings of the post office. Socialism, he said , means only to 'To organize the whole economy on the lines of the postal service.'Great article. Comparisons to the DMV can be drawn as well. Global warming bombshell We've long been subject to the idea that the earth is warming because of greenhouse gases. Though the methodology and the evidence have long been suspect, rarely have we had the opportunity to see precisely how suspect it really was: Unfortunately, discussion of this plot has been so polluted by political and activist frenzy that it is hard to dig into it to reach the science. I have previously made a plea to let science proceed unmolested. Unfortunately, the very importance of the issue has made careful science difficult to pursue. McCarthyism on the Left Ah, this is too good to post with commentary. Just go ahead and read this. Wednesday, December 22, 2004Anthony Browne: Unholy war on Christmas What communists, Puritans, and enlightened liberals have in common Anthony Browne calls it a war on Christmas. I am inclined to agree: Christmas has always stirred passion, attracting opponents and supporters. But, until recently, banning it has been so culturally offensive that fictional Christophobes entered the English language for their infamy. Ebenezer Scrooge declared: 'Every idiot who goes about with 'Merry Christmas' on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly in his heart.' Dr Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas declared that the Grinch's motivation was 'that his heart was two sizes too small'.Read on. Tuesday, December 21, 2004Virginia's Democratic Contender Governor Warner and the co-opting of the GOP There's quite a buzz about George Will's column the other day. Many Republicans are asking themselves what's gotten into Will. Most conservatives understand quite perfectly what has happened. The "17 Republicans" (or collectively referred to as they in conservative circles) have given strength not to their ideals, but to the ideals of the Democratic Party: Warner has driven through a sizable tax increase, but could do so only because he had the support of Republican leaders of the legislature, who were responding to broad public anxiety about education. The tax increase does not seem to have hurt: Virginia's economy is growing at a rate of 5.9 percent, faster than the national average of 4.8 percent. Virginia is ninth on the Federation of Tax Administrators' ranking of states in terms of the lightest state and local taxes measured as a percentage of personal income. And Warner says he has made 'more cuts in state government than anyone in Virginia history.'I was always taught you could tell a tree by its fruits. Here are the fruits of your labor gentlemen. George Will is absolutely right, not in terms of causes, but in the effects of the $1.2 billion tax hike last session. What's more, it is a further black eye on Virginia Republicans, and moreso than the eavesdropping scandal. At some point in time, Virginia Republican leadership needs to point in a direction that either combats or converges with the ideals of tax-hiking moderates. I hate to say it, but it's really that simple. A case of collective projection David Limbaugh and the secular Left’s irrational fear of Christians This year more than most, I think it's safe to say we've noticed an upturn in the attacks on religious sentiment in America, particularly with regards to Christmas. David Limbaugh is not amused: We've read the editorial lambasting of the Christian Right with aggravated fervor: Maureen Dowd likened Christian conservatives to 'a vengeful mob -- revved up by rectitude -- running around with torches and hatchets after heathens and pagans and infidels.' Nicholas Kristof lampooned Christians who believe in the Rapture. Liberal icon Bill Moyers exhibited pangs of horror at anti-environmentalist Christian fundamentalists who 'may believe that environmental destruction is not only to be disregarded but actually welcomed -- even hastened -- as a sign of the coming apocalypse.'Given the full blown rantings from the Democrats still lamenting their 2004 defeat, I'd say that Limbaugh isn't too far off the mark. A sad commentary, if not for the fact it's also a sign we are moving towards rather than away from a more congenial and accepting public square than the secular humanists can ever possibly afford. Sunday, December 19, 2004Sobran the Reluctant Anarchist The slide from conservativism to anarchism Most folks have heard me describe the "libertarian streak" that I claim to hold. In many ways I do, but there are certain aspects that I strongly disagree with. As a Catholic, I'm very much pro-life. I believe in a living wage set by the state, a state that sets the boundaries for fair play among businesses, and a state that feels morally obliged to fight the war on drugs. Suprisingly, it is my staunch stance on the war against drugs that divides me from most libertarians (abortion and living wage standards aside). But there is another aspect that separates me from the libertarians at large. It is the topic of anarchy and the role of the state. Aquinas argued even without the fall of man, a state would still be necessary by virtue of being social creatures. "Anarcho-capitalists" such as Rothbard and Hoppe strongly disagree, arguing as Joseph Sobran does here that the state will always overstep its bounds: Murray died a few years ago without quite having made an anarchist of me. It was left to his brilliant disciple, Hans-Hermann Hoppe, to finish my conversion. Hans argued that no constitution could restrain the state. Once its monopoly of force was granted legitimacy, constitutional limits became mere fictions it could disregard; nobody could have the legal standing to enforce those limits. The state itself would decide, by force, what the constitution meant, steadily ruling in its own favor and increasing its own power. This was true a priori, and American history bore it out.I disagree. Sobran and Rothbard argue this point eloquently, and I can say that I disagree with them on a macro scale. Certainly the length of human history bears this out time and time again. The problem is that proverbial leap from the rule of law to tyrrany is presented as if it happens instantaneously, as if the difference between 1776 and 2004 was the difference between Monday and Tuesday. It is the question of the maintenance of the state that anarchists by nature cannot answer adequately. That maintenance requires the element and proper consideration of time on constitutional governments and social contract theory. Here perhaps is my largest complaint with regards to the Rothbard argument for open-ended capitalism; time. Can Rothbard, Hesse, and Sobran seriously argue that the American experiment was one of tyrrany? Of oppression? Did it happen overnight? That even today, we have descended into something opposite of that which our Founding Fathers represented? True, I could concede that socialism is not a dead political or economic philosophy, and indeed it is held by many conservatives today. Russell Kirk was every bit a social engineer, and the conservativism he presents as a political philosophy is the opposite of what thinkers such as Aquinas, von Mises, or Chesterton would envision as ideal. Is anarchy through capitalism the antidote? If Sobran's Aristotelian background should speak towards anything, one can only think towards the Nicomachean Ethics and be reminded of the postulated virtuous mean between excessive socialism and excessive individualism. This excessive answer to creeping socialism is probably intended as a method of balancing the scales (one could only hope). Aquinas had it right. There is a balance, and it is closer to libertarianism and a minimized - and not merely minimalist - state. A viable state strong enough to protect the public square and the proper ordering of society towards that end is what humanity desires. Is it that hard to acheive? To maintain? Saturday, December 18, 2004Scrapbook: Battle for free-market agenda is only half won Milton Friedman on Socialism and the Free Market Found among the pages of The Australian: After World War II, opinion was socialist while practice was free market; currently, opinion is free market while practice is heavily socialist. We have largely won the battle of ideas; we have succeeded in stalling the progress of socialism, but we have not succeeded in reversing its course. We are still far from bringing practice into conformity with opinion. That is the overriding non-defence task for the second Bush term.Friedman is of course right. Many a conservative will complain about the current course of goverment (and the Republican Party for that matter) as one that talks a good game, but in practice is seemingly offering very little. The good news is that no one labels themselves as proponents of socialism anymore, but few people truly practice open market ideals in governance. We'll see. Friday, December 17, 2004Billy Hungate Passed away at 30 Billy's mother used to babysit us when we were younger. Billy was a good fella who had plenty of cool toys. I heard about Billy's passing this morning due to congestive heart failure: Billy Thomas Hungate, 30, of Fredericksburg died Wednesday, Dec. 15, 2004, at his home.God bless. Thursday, December 16, 2004Virginia Institute for Public Policy "Public Policy Leadership in the Virginia Tradition" For a good read of conservative public policy opinions, check out the Virginia Institute for Public Policy website: The Virginia Institute for Public Policy is an independent, nonpartisan, education and research organization committed to the goals of individual opportunity and economic growth. Through research, policy recommendations, and symposia, the Institute works ahead of the political process to lay the intellectual foundation for a society dedicated to individual liberty, free enterprise, private property, the rule of law, and strictly limited government.Outstanding. VIPP reads and sounds more like the hobby of conservative and libertarian policy analysts, professors, and politicians, but it's a critical voice. Glad to see it here. Since when did we all become 'you guys'? Southern manners and Southern hospitality A letter to the editor in today's FLS: 'What can I get for you guys?' 'Anything else for you guys?' What's with the use of these terms in even the nicest stores and restaurants in town? Sure, our generation still looks 'hip,' but it doesn't mean we want to be addressed as if we're everybody's good buddies.Welcome to the South, ma'am. And it's pronounced y'all. For plural, it's all y'all. Nice to see that Southern hospitality still reigns in Virginia. Wednesday, December 15, 2004Happy Bill of Rights Day December 15th, and civil libertarians lament Happy Bill of Rights Day! Well, maybe not such a happy day in some people's eyes: December 15 is neglected by most Americans for its historical significance as the anniversary of the Bill of Rights. Even worse, American politicians neglect the actual Bill of Rights on a day-to-day basis. FLS: We goofed on Doris Buffett Ms. Buffet, Fredericksburg School Board A-OK You gotta hand it to the editors at the FLS. When they make a mistake, they fess up pretty quickly: OUR DEC. 8 editorial cartoon depicting Fredericksburg's philanthropist extraordinaire, Doris Buffett, suggested that the Sunshine Lady was placing demands upon the Fredericksburg School Board in exchange for a donation of $2 million to the Boys & Girls Club. Tuesday, December 14, 2004Drag and Drop: The United States Not only do you have to drop them correctly, but also within a decent amount of time. So how's your geography? Poll Shows GOP on the Move Republicans now outnumber Democrats 37-34 It's been a long held assumption in political circles that Democrats traditionally outnumber Republicans. This was true during the 1990's, and according to Gallup, the tide has indeed shifted: A new Gallup poll shows that the public values "values" less than November exit polls suggested, but another survey from the same outfit released today shows a historic surge in Republican party affiliation.Gallup also confirmed that values ranked far behind other concerns such as the war in Iraq, terrorism, and the economy. Monday, December 13, 2004US Catholic author praises Wiggles' Jesus songs Amy Welborn sings the Wiggles praises My sons are huge Wiggles fans. Huge. Compared to most of the children's programming out there, the Wiggles are a pretty sophisticated bunch. It's not the typical feel-good nonsense that most children shows consist of. Rather, these guys can sing and sing well. No problems letting my children watch this! So of course, it's always encouraging to hear stuff like this follow up my basic instinct about these fellas: She (Amy Welborn) wrote in her blog: 'This year, what with the Wiggles being on the Disney channel for nigh on two years now, I thought they would surely have had their US content Disney-fied and Jesus wiped out, or at least grown some ears. But no! Caught a bit of this year's Christmas special this morning, and within ten minutes, heard 2 Jesus songs.'Supportive of the Vinnies, music done well, and folks who aren't afraid to do Christmas songs. I love it. . . . of course, one could comment rather sadly that we have to seek out people unafraid to do Christmas songs, but that's another topic for another day. Leadership for Virginia PAC I'm angry. And not just a little - I'm very angry. One of the things that Republicans agree upon should be the idea of smaller government. Not smaller than the Democrats, but overall an approach to government that reduces its size and influence in our lives. When I read that not only is there a PAC to help support the 17 Republican Delegates that voted for tax hike, but the Leadership for Virginia PAC is also actively helping Democrats, in my mind the gauntlet is thrown down statewide: The first test of the organization could come soon. Del. Thelma B. Drake (R-Norfolk) was elected to Congress on Nov. 2. On Tuesday, Warner called for a special election to be held Dec. 14 to fill her House of Delegates seat.Contribute they have, to the tune of $50,000 for liberal Democrat Paula Miller over Republican Michael Ball. What gets me more upset is that our elected GOP leadership doesn't understand what is at stake. We are literally being redefined from outside the party by Democrats courting moderate Republicans. What is at stake is nothing short of this: Either Republicans are the party committed to reducing government in both its size and potency, or we are Democrat-lite. The battle is on, and those on the side of taxpayers and against the growing influence of government are clearly in the majority. I say fight. Enough talk. The lines are drawn, the Dems know it, and the moderate Republicans are willing and ready to co-operate with the Dems. If that is the case, how long are we as Republicans true to the principles of smaller government going to wait? Virginians can no longer afford to feed both their families and their government. Hannibal is at the gates. It's high time for leaders to step up and carry the banner. Friday, December 10, 2004Oil at $40.50/barrel. Will liberals blame Bush? I love to see news like this. Thursday, December 09, 2004Famous Atheist Now Believes in God Antony Flew, 81, cites intelligent design theory as reason For those of you who have listened to me sepak on this topic, I am not a proponent of intelligent design theory. In fact, I am very critical of it (see my essay on intellgent design). However, the argument has won a convert: At age 81, after decades of insisting belief is a mistake, Antony Flew has concluded that some sort of intelligence or first cause must have created the universe. A super-intelligence is the only good explanation for the origin of life and the complexity of nature, Flew said in a telephone interview from England.A deistic God, yes. But a God nonetheless. Pontifical University to Take on the Devil Rise of interest in the occult cited I always find it rather odd when good Christians are so willing to proclaim their belief in Christ, yet get squeamish when you ask about the existence of the devil. If the 20th century teaches us anything, the devil most certainly exists. The rise of New Age beliefs, gnostic spirituality, and outright Satanic worship are all constant alarms that something is wrong. Thankfully, there are certain corners of the world that understand this and are willing to do something about it: A Vatican university said on Thursday it will hold a special 'theoretical and practical' course for Roman Catholic priests on Satanism and exorcism in response to what the Church says is a worrying interest in the occult, particularly among the young.Interesting to note that the Diocese of Richmond has recently re-instituted the office of exorcist, a commonly found office within Catholic dioceses some years ago, but one that has slowly slipped away from more modern (and more likely secular) minds. Wednesday, December 08, 2004National ID Card Provisions Failed Rep. Davis votes against S 2845 after language stripped Here's the press release from Rep. Jo Ann Davis: Congresswoman Jo Ann Davis (R-VA) made the following statement following her vote against S 2845, the National Intelligence Reform Act, which passed the House of Representatives.The National ID Card row was brought to the fore with the McCain-Lieberman amendment, which standardized with federal regulations the process in which driver's licenses and registration cards were issued. The NSLC (National State Legislatures Conference) was opposed to the provision as it's cost was yet to be determined and rather large. Several pro-liberty organizations rallied against the bill and more than likely contributed to the defeat of the McCain amendment. This having been said, the problem of a lack of accountablility for state identification cards is an issue that was brought up in the days after 9/11, and one that seemingly has not been adequately addressed. Doris Buffet vs. the FLS or, yet another instance where Fredericksburg bites the hands trying to feed the city
Doris, by all means come to Spotsylvania and build your pool. We're a kinder, gentler bunch and would love to have your company. Sorry folks. This cartoon pushes the edge. 'Immaculate Contraception' Ad Withdrawn Schering AG pulls ad after ASA, National Association of Catholic Families complaint You know, if Nike had printed an ad that said "Just Jew It," do you think Schering AG would have gotten off with no more than a proverbial slap on the wrist from the media? The poster, which appeared on London Underground trains, asked: 'Immaculate contraception? If only.'Broavo for doing the right thing after the fact, but come on. . . New Worry for OPEC: Oversupply Oil at $43/barrel and still falling. . . Like cheap oil? OPEC doesn't. Oil prices have been at record highs this year, with money gushing into the coffers of oil producers. And as leaders of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries leaders head into a final meeting this year, the topic on their minds and on Friday's agenda is whether there will be too much oil next year. Tuesday, December 07, 2004Back to blogging Sorry for the brief hiatus folks, but I should be back in the swing of things shortly. Sunday, December 05, 2004Wanna see the prettiest lady in the world?
School bus driver fired for stem cell talk "I learned that free speech is definitely not free," I think the Fark headline summed it up best: School bus driver fired for talking to students about stem cell research. "Her job is to scowl and scream at the kids, not be intelligent," according to a school rep. An elementary school bus driver was fired after sharing a statistic she had read about embryonic stem cell research with students, then encouraging them to tell their parents about it.Of course, this is a completely factual scientific statement. As a matter of fact, this is precisely the kind of discussion students should be having after class. I would be thrilled if my child came home telling me that he was discussing the nuances of stem cell research on the school bus - in elementary school no less! Come drive buses in Spotsylvania. Please. Friday, December 03, 2004Rappahannock Rugby Club Mark your calendars: 1: Sevens tomorrow (Saturday, 04 December) at the MWC Athletic Fields at 10:00am. Don't worry if you are new, just come out and see what rugby is all about! 2: General interest meeting at the Colonial Tavern on Thursday, 09 December at 7:00pm. Beer. 3: Join the Rappahannock Rugby Club mailing list! Do it! Do it now! Wednesday, December 01, 2004Home Safe
Missy and Caroline are both home safe (one day early as fate would have it) and are resting comfortably. Jonathan and Matthew are already in the swing of things in terms of diapers and being attentive to the new addition to the family. And Caroline is being very adorable. And cute. When she cries, she sounds like a little teapot going off. It's a soft, cute little cry, and she's such a snuggly little baby. Off to go do some work. The fun never ends in that world. That's the one thing I'm missing at this point. With Jonathan, DEA gave me a week off. With Matthew, DEA gave me two weeks off. With Caroline, folks were calling the hospital for work-related items (Missy too if you could believe it). Not that I'm griping; it's all important stuff. But it's kinda nice to spend time with the family the first few days, right? Speaking of which, I'm gone! Late night blogging courtesy of wide awake newborns to debut shortly!
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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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