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Monday, February 07, 2005The Pope's Four Word Blessing "Father, Son, Holy Ghost" Pope John Paul II's handlers at the Vatican were quick to show a living pope yesterday, but there seems to be some question as to whether or not he's 100%, or whether He's capable of speaking at all: The appearance, relayed on screens to crowds gathered in St Peter's Square, was the first the Pope has made since he was taken to hospital last week with breathing spasms brought on by influenza.Well, not entirely nonsense after all. It seems just as when the pope's voice began to falter, someone turned on a recording. The pope's face was also covered by a copy of the Angelus, so no one could tell if his lips were moving. Continue to pray for the pope. He is a good man who is demonstrating to the entire world a true meaning of Christian suffering. Wow. Saturday, February 05, 2005
 Yours Truly
Shameless self-aggrandizement Geez. . . I look like I'm ready to be on the next episode of Law and Order! Too bad the photo is pretty grainy though. But hooray for enterprising conservative Republicans! One thing that I do have to mention outright: There are a lot of good, sincere people in the Spotsylvania GOP. You never know how truly honored you are to have such good colleages, friends, and allies when the chips are down. I can't speak highly enough about local conservatives. Wow. Max Schmeling dead at 99 An interesting obituary here: There was a time when those four words likely would have set off spasms of grand celebration in the United States and around the world, because the hatred for what Mr. Schmeling was assumed to be by so many ran so deep.What a great story. There's a movie I watched regarding the relationship Joe Louis and Max Schmeling had, but I can't immediately remember the name of it (and I think it was a "made for TV" movie). "I don't want anyone to say I was a good athlete, but worth nothing as a human being - I couldn't bear that," Mr. Schmeling said in 1993.I know the feeling. Can a Suffering Pope Still Lead the Catholic Church? Pope John Paul II, 84, is living the culture of life by powerful example In a world that seems teeming on the brink of euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, and other issues surrounding the value of human life, there are interesting questions surrounding the life of Pope John Paul II, especially now as his life is drawing to an end in the public light: Still, the question is in the air. Can a suffering, 84-year-old man continue to lead an institution representing a billion people? Pope John Paul II and the people around him say yes, and have, in fact, built an explicit case that his very sickness transmits a series of powerful messages - ones that would seem, for now, to close off the possibility of his retirement.Now that's a powerful way of living through example. Please keep the Pope in your prayers this weekend. Friday, February 04, 2005AudioLunchbox I just downloaded my first CD online. The whole darned thing, and the CD isn't half bad either. Check out Audio Lunchbox online, and when you get there be sure to check out a The Devil Makes Three. Great album. Much thanks to Jay whose taste in music is far better than my own. Where he gets cool stuff like this, I have no idea. The Pelagian Drinking Song! An oldie, but a goodie Someone (John Hathaway) reminded me of this. And for those of you who have not read the Pelagian Drinking Song, it's hilarious (pun unintended): Pelagius lived at Kardanoel And taught a doctrine there How, whether you went to heaven or to hell It was your own affair. It had nothing to do with the Church, my boy, But was your own affair. No, he didn't believe In Adam and Eve He put no faith therein! His doubts began With the Fall of Man And he laughed at Original Sin. With my row-ti-tow Ti-oodly-ow He laughed at original sin. Then came the bishop of old Auxerre Germanus was his name He tore great handfuls out of his hair And he called Pelagius shame. And with his stout Episcopal staff So thoroughly whacked and banged The heretics all, both short and tall -- They rather had been hanged. Oh he whacked them hard, and he banged them long Upon each and all occasions Till they bellowed in chorus, loud and strong Their orthodox persuasions. With my row-ti-tow Ti-oodly-ow Their orthodox persuasions. Now the faith is old and the Devil bold Exceedingly bold indeed. And the masses of doubt that are floating about Would smother a mortal creed. But we that sit in a sturdy youth And still can drink strong ale Let us put it away to infallible truth That always shall prevail. And thank the Lord For the temporal sword And howling heretics too. And all good things Our Christendom brings But especially barley brew! With my row-ti-tow Ti-oodly-ow Especially barley brew! -- Hillaire Belloc Republicans for Dean for DNC Chair! Yeeeaarrgh! It looks as if the DNC chairmanship is Howard Dean's to lose. Of course, this doesn't mean much for Republicans if we see a re-emergence of the "common sense moderate" Dean painted himself as in the beginning of the Democratic primary. But if we see the liberal, extremist Dean, it could get interesting: Speaking to a DNC forum in New York over the weekend, Dean indulged once again in some of the undisguised loathing of the GOP that was such a hallmark of Democratic Party activism last year. 'I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for,' he told the audience, 'but I admire their discipline and their organization.'I hate the Republicans and everything they stand for. Yes, that's the ticket. Give me that chairman! He's the polarizing, hateful liberal we want galvanizing the left! Gosh. . . I don't think I could ever bring myself to say I genuinely hated anyone. But to generalize and hate a whole class of people? Wow. That takes a special kind of insensitivity and disdain I just don't possess. Thursday, February 03, 2005Afghanistan's crisis Novak on Afghanistan and the heroin trade I can remember back at DEA when the topic of spraying the poppy fields shortly after the October invasion came up. Golden opportunity was the buzz, and we had a perfect chance to knock out a good portion of the heroin trade in one shot. DOD and DOS didn't think it was such a good idea, and now the pundits are chiming in: Afghanistan, portrayed as a victory in the U.S. war against terror, is a disaster in the war against drugs. Its production of heroin has soared over the last year, with the country becoming the world's top supplier. Faced with this looming catastrophe, the Bush administration is deeply divided.Maybe my loyalties are with my former masters at DEA, but I tend to think they were right. We should have knocked them out when we had the chance. This having been said, Novak does bring up an excellent point regarding the parallels between the war on terrorism and the war on drugs. It's a valid comparison IMHO. Wednesday, February 02, 2005From the desk of Mike Rothfeld ... I figured this deserved a full dissemination. . . so I'll post it online and forward it as well. Pretty convincing I'd say, and a good read for anyone remotely interested in what's going on in Richmond. The politicians at the State Capitol in Richmond are at it again. No, they won't directly raise your taxes this year: The surplus is too big (now over $1 billion), House elections too close, and last year's record-breaking tax hike fight too fresh. Still, there are plans to raise "fees" and tax new entities (like satellite TV). And the stampede to raise gas taxes next year has already started in order to "fix" transportation (as if pouring more money into that sewer of waste will achieve any more in the future than it has in the past). But what is more distressing, is the charade by Speaker of the House Bill Howell to push a bogus repeal of the car tax. The fact is it won't repeal the car tax and, more importantly, Speaker Howell knows it will not pass the Senate. Please read on to understand what is really up. As a leader in the fight to make Virginia a freedom-protecting, low-tax leader of our nation -- and to make the Republican Party a party that practices these principles, not just talks about them -- you should know what's going on behind the rhetoric from Richmond. Last year, politicians hiked our taxes a whopping $1.4 billion and stopped the phase out of the car tax. The key maneuver was Speaker Bill Howell's twisting the arms of four anti-tax Republicans (Cole, Janis, O'Bannon, Louderback) to not show up to kill the tax hike in committee. Once the tax hike reached the House floor, Howell knew 17 Republican turncoats would vote with Democrats to pass the tax hike. Now, Speaker Bill Howell and House Republican leaders are pushing a bogus plan to "clean the skirts" of the 17 Big Tax Republicans who voted to raise our taxes last year. The so-called "Car Tax Repeal bill" actually doesn't eliminate the car tax at all, because the bill only phases out the car tax over the next six to ten years -- IF the economy is good. But more importantly Speaker Howell & Co. know any legislation to continue the car tax cut (promised back in 1997 by Jim Gilmore) is dead on arrival in the state Senate. Governor Warner opposes it too, of course. So don't buy it, my friend. It's a trick play to let some of the 17 Big Tax Republicans (many of whom are about to get Republican Primary challenges) cast a meaningless vote to lower taxes to use in their re-election campaign literature! You should see right through it. I'm writing you today, because I know you're someone who cares about the future of Virginia and will do something to safeguard our freedoms and act to protect taxpayers, our families and our values. That's why you are on this list with other of Virginia's most influential and conservative political activists. You may know me as a political consultant, a conservative Republican activist, or as a candidate. In 2003, I ran in the Republican Primary against Senate President John Chichester, campaigning to put taxpayers and families ahead of the demands of Big Government and special interests, and to stand 100% for the unborn. I did not win. But I stood firm for principle and a political rule I recommend to you and all conservative activists: As much as possible, politicians MUST pay a price for bad behavior (e.g. voting for bigger government, higher taxes, continuing the abortion slaughter, trampling gun rights). When I ran for office, I asked whether the Republican Party would be committed to lower taxes and limited government. Or would we become a party that merely, "Tries to run the machinery of big government a little better than the Democrats?" Since there is no chance of passing any repeal of the car tax this year, the politicians should act to return the ENTIRE surplus to the taxpayers and NOT increase spending even one dime. Since 1998, the politicians in Richmond have hiked state spending more than 47%. And the current Virginia budget has billions more than was required to keep up with inflation, population, and school and college enrollment since 1979. Yet there are virtually no calls from Democrats or Republicans to rein in government spending. In fact, they talk incessantly of NEW and INCREASED spending. To pay for it, according to the Virginia Club for Growth, taxes in Virginia have been increasing 20% faster than incomes since 1979. I'm asking you to tell Speaker Howell, your Delegate, and your Senator to refuse to spend 1 penny of the $1 billion surplus and send it ALL back to taxpayers and families. For convenience, I've added a link to the complete list of legislators with contact numbers here: http://dela.state.va.us/dela/MemBios.nsf/MWebsiteTL?OpenView and at the bottom of this e-mail. Yes, many will probably ignore you ... or whine about the "needs" and "core services" that are in "crisis." But, at last, they may begin to sniff the wind of a grass-roots rebellion to business-as-usual. And please, make plans to join me and many others in working to defeat some of the 17 Big Tax Republicans in primaries this Spring. More on that in the next few weeks. I hope you agree, NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL TO COME TO THE AID OF THEIR PRINCIPLES! Stay tuned ... I'll keep you informed. Best regards, Mike Rothfeld President SABER Communications, Inc. 101 Washington Street Falmouth, Virginia 22405 PS. If you want no more communication from me, email back and say so. I'll respect your wish. PPS. The 17 Big Tax Republicans are Preston Bryant, Jr. (Lynchburg), Charles Carrico Sr. (Grayson County), James H. Dillard II (Fairfax), William H. Fralin, Jr. (Roanoke), Robert R. Hurt (Pittsylvania), Riley E. Ingram (Hopewell), S. Chris Jones (Suffolk), Daniel W. Marshall III (Danville), Joe T. May (Leesburg), Harvey B. Morgan (Gloucester), David A. Nutter (Christiansburg), G. Glenn Oder (Newport News), Robert D. Orrock Sr. (Spotsylvania), Harry J. Parrish (Manassas), Thomas Davis Rust (Herndon), Edward T. Scott (Culpeper), and Robert R. Tata (Virginia Beach). For the list of all VA Delegates phone numbers and e-mail addresses go to: http://dela.state.va.us/dela/MemBios.nsf/MWebsiteTL?OpenView HP: We have the next transistor "Crossbar latch" the key to 1000x more powerful computers Now this is pretty spiffy. Hewlett-Packard has a new technology that could replace the transistor: 'We are reinventing the computer at the molecular scale,' said Stan Williams, one of the authors of the paper, in a statement. 'The crossbar latch provides a key element needed for building a computer using nanometer-sized devices that are relatively inexpensive and easy to build.'No word as to precisely when this technology will make it's way into the market. Five years? Tuesday, February 01, 2005Pope John Paul II in Hospital Apparently with the flu: ROME (Reuters) - Pope John Paul was taken to hospital late on Tuesday, Italian media including national news agency Ansa and Sky Italia television said. $250,000 military death benefit proposed Retroactive to October 2001 Cool. Brain's risk-taking function not developed until 25 Neuroscience, development play roles Now this is an interesting article: A National Institutes of Health study suggests that the region of the brain that inhibits risky behavior is not fully formed until age 25, a finding with implications for a host of policies, including the nation's driving laws.Of course, there's a criticism the study only impies a correlation and not an exact relationship. But the correlation exists nonetheless, confirming what car insurance firms have known for years.
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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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