|
|
Tuesday, February 28, 2006What are you giving up for Lent?Yes, today is Mardi Gras. But tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, where guys like me go around all day with dirt on our foreheads. What am I giving up for Lent? Soft drinks. All of 'em. What am I doing to make myself a better person? Committing myself to waking up before 8am every day (that means weekends). Yep, it's in writing, so Mrs. Kenney can nag me all she wants, send in the kids, and wake me up. It's done. Lent is typically associated with sacrifice, something that we as Americans hate doing. But it's not about mere sacrifice. It's about Christ, understanding what He went through, and preparing ourselves for Easter Triddum. Focus would be a better word, especially in such a narcissistic, selfish world. Remember! Thou art dust. And to dust you shall return... Jaquith: Five expressions you must abandon immediately.1. GUI interfaces. 2. Microsoft Works. 3. The use of the word "like". 4. The abuse of the word "that". 5. Whatever (much akin to it's brother "whatevah"). From TC's most overrated blogger Bush on the Blogosphere: "It's Crazy Delicious"And our defining moment? Memogate: Memogate has helped accelerate the decline of the mainstream media, generally defined as CBS, NBC, ABC, The New York Times and other establishment news outlets.Yes it's painful to read, but the mainstream media has been mainstrumed into oblivity. At least that's what I'm misunderestimating. Pay at the pumpPump your gas, go inside grab a coke, and pay. That used to be the way it was in Virginia anyhow. Sure you'd find the occasional bad spot of town that would force you to pre-pay your gas, but by and large it was a commonplace practice. Definitely different from places like New Jersey, where people pump gas for you (then expect a tip). Hurricane Katrina hit in September 2005, and gas prices soared. Drive-off's all of the sudden became a scourge to be dealt with, and with the $5/gal rates came the mandated pre-pay for gasoline. October came. Gas prices subsided. Pre-pay still was enforced. November. December. January. February... I can't be the only one who is tired of having to pre-pay for gasoline. Cameras at gas stations have by and large mitigated most theft. Why should I be forced to pre-pay for gasoline anymore? Frankly, it was a charming tradition of trust that separated this part of the country from points north. When will it resume? I haven't a clue as to whom to ask. I fear we may never see it again, though I certainly hope that some business executive out there is willing to prove me wrong (and earn my business as a result). Monday, February 27, 2006Has Blogging Jumped the Shark?The Wall Street Journal says yes -- and no: Reports of blogging's demise are bosh, but if we're lucky, something else really is going away: the by-turns overheated and uninformed obsession with blogging. Which would be just fine, because it would let blogging become what it was always destined to be: just another digital technology and method of communication, one with plenty to offer but no particular claim to revolution.There's a bubble, and you get the feeling (at least in the Virginia Blogosphere) that it's about to burst. As the number of blogs increase, people are only going to be able to digest so many, and readers themselves will sort out the wheat from the chaff. I will be genuinely surprised if half of the current blogs we read are still active within the next three years. Like websites during the mid-1990's, everyone had one of those free deals from Lycos or Tripod, and it all vanished over time. Considering that 90% of all blogs die out within a year, I don't expect the trend to improve anytime soon. It's a very Neitzchean world when it comes to blogs: the strong survive the blogosphere, the weak are completely extinguished by it. Battle smoke, stalemate on spendingI don't read the Daily Progress much, mostly because it has the reputation of being one of the most liberal publications in Virginia. Still, when they do have a good article come to the fore, it deserves some notice. Bob Gibson's article last Sunday morning is one example, the Charge of the Tax Brigade I guess. Still, what makes it remarkable are Gibson's thoughts as to why the House Republicans are a more coherent bunch this session, as opposed to 2004. His reasons: 1. Education is more popular than roads, and therefore the public is more willing to pay higher taxes for educators and deputies rather than six guys leaning on shovels in Northern Virginia. 2. If they don't hang together, they'll hang seperately... Gibson uses the term "double secret blood oath" (a throwback to "double secret probation" I take it) to describe the House GOP. 3. ...and hang they shall. The VCAP challengers of 2005 had their intended effect. 4. Transportation is a regional and local issue, and therefore delegates would break off if they felt the pork was going to places it shouldn't. Other delegates have chimed in over the past few weeks signalling that the House GOP discipline has begun to recover since the ouster of Vance Wilkins, and that the climate has definitely changed. Beyond that, it's an entertaining article, even it it's from the Daily Regress. But it's refreshing to see that someone else from an entirely different perspective sees the 2006 dynamic with the same set of eyes as I do. CNA: Cardinal Kung Foundation Calls For Cancelling of 2008 Beijing Olympiad; Return of PriestsTwo Catholic priests were once again arrested by Communist Chinese officials: With the arrest of two more priests in China this month, the Cardinal Kung Foundation is calling on the Olympic Committee to consider canceling the next summer Olympic Games, which are scheduled to take place in China, in 2008.I agree. So long as Communist China continues to imprison Catholic priests and attack religious freedom, why should the world allow China to participate in the Olympic Games? By refusing to act, we only condone and pass silently over these abuses. So what's up with the red box in the corner, Shaun?They're supposed to be links! Long time visitors will remember that I had many if not all of my college papers, op-eds, and all unpublished essays on the website. Not only that, but there were Catholic links and other such stuff. I've been eyeballing it for awhile... a small redesign may be forthcoming (tabs across the top), which will open up my corpus of writings for all to see once again. Stay tuned... FLS: Tyreek Davis' searchers suffered stress, deserve praiseI love letters that offer perspective. So for all of the scorn heaped upon Spotsylvania deputies as a whole for the actions of a few, it's nice to see that generalizations rarely if ever fit. Sunday, February 26, 2006Olympics overI couldn't have been the only person stateside to not have watched the Olympics. For one reason or another, I just didn't tune in. No real reason why, but I just didn't care this time around. What I'm Reading | v.2You'd think that I'd be snapping up all sorts of journalistic ethics books as I'm preparing for my paper submission for the Virginia Humanities Conference, but I can't be stopped. Just in case you want to see what I've finished reading over the past few weeks, here's a list: Ornament of the World by Maria Rosa Menocal: Great book on medieval Spain and the introduction of Islamic thought into Western culture. Highly recommended. Forty Ways to Look at JFK by Gretchen Rubin: Most folks who read this blog regularly know that JFK is my favorite president, so picking up this book was an easy buy. Interesting read too: reads much like the alternative history books such as What If?, but ultimately it provides forty differing views on Kennedy the man. In Praise of Empires by Deepak Lal: First Britain, now the United States. If the United States is not willing to assume the mantle of empire, then who else? India? China? UCLA Professor Deepak Lal asks the consequences of what will happen as America answers the questions and implications of the Pax Americana. I'm going to have to pick this book up a second time and read it (I read it superficially the first time), but read it again I will. Introduction to Phenomenology by Dermot Moran: I finally finished this book after many months next to my bedpost. Whew! Heroes by Lucy Hughes-Hallett: Not terribly impressed with this book for one reason or another. I expected a lot more, but then again this book was on the NYT Bestsellers list. The Future of Ideas by Lawrence Lessig: An oldie but a goodie, this deals with the questions and implications of how an information society can either be complimented by government, or restricted by government control by both Democrats and Republicans. Lessig has warnings for both, and while this book was published at the turn of the millenium, it has proven to be chillingly prophetic. Thankfully, the Internet has grown much more quickly than anyone's ability to contain it. Long may it last. Holy Madness by Adam Zamoyski: I picked up this relatively new book in Downtown Fredericksburg for $20. This has to be the best book I have read in a long time. Zamoyski covers the era of revolutionaries and patriots from the American Revolution to the Franco-Prussian War. I can't speak highly enough about this work; a tour-de-force the period rightly deserves. Restorer of the World by John F. White: An old Roman prophecy read that Rome's power would stall after 1,000 years. The prophecy did not count on Aurelian, whom after several conquests stemming both rivals and barbarians was bestowed the title "Restorer of the World" by a grateful Roman Empire. A thesis paper turned book, and slightly expensive, but worthwhile for anyone interested in the Roman era. Handy Farm Devices by Rolfe Cobleigh: If the world ever goes to pot, I'll be ready with this early 20th century manual on handy farm tools. Hey, it was a cheap little book, and written in the style of the time period such as "A Massachusetts man used this handy configuation to turn these two pieces of wood into a useful cutting block saving hours of time," or "A Kentucky farmer used his old barrels to create this little crib for his newborn daughter," -- things one might think about and write down, but never really implement. Mildly entertaining. A Briefer History of Time by Stephen Hawking: This time, with pictures! Something I'd definitely use when teaching a Philosophy of Science class. I could go on to the books I am currently reading, but for another day. Saturday, February 25, 2006CNN: China warns cardinal-electCardinal Zen kindly smiles, and continues his support of the underground Catholic Church. This has to be one of the most important functions of the Catholic Church today, and why I am at times disappointed with fellow Catholics who hold back at the collection plate for one excuse or another. If you need better evidence as to what your money helps to support, here it is. Social justice at its most crucial step. UtopiaFrom Saint Thomas More's Utopia, as quoted from the character Raphael Hythloday: It seems to me a very unjust thing to take away a man's life for a little money; for nothing in the world can be of equal value with a man's life: and if it is said that it is not for the money that one suffers, but for his breaking the law, I must say extreme justice is an extreme injury; for we ought not to approve of these terrible laws that make the smallest offences capital, nor of that opinion of the Stoics that makes all crimes equal, as if there were no difference to be made between the killing a man and the taking his purse, between which, if we examine things impartially, there is no likeness nor proportion.I have always wondered what drive people to stiffen penalties against breaking certain laws. More argues through the mouthpiece of Hythloday that such a practice only engenders a disrespect for law, to the point that citizens no longer have a respect for laws because they are no longer just, no longer proportionate. I can't help but draw the comparision to More's conclusion and the general attitude towards lawmaking today when it comes to punishing crimes. Sir Thomas More was a product of his times of course, but his Utopia speaks just as clearly then as it does today. Unfortunately, Henry VIII (for whom the text was written for) chose not to heed his advice. For the grievious penalty of refusing to assent to the king's divorce and subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn, Thomas More was executed at Hill Tower in 1535. Virginia Centrist: Why levy fee increases?Virginia Centrist asks why the Virginia legislature (Republicans in particular) seem fit to raise every fee in the Commonwealth rather than raise taxes: What's the difference between tax increases and fee increases? Not much, except for the fact that fee increases arbitrarily hit random segments of the population. Simple tax increases (like a gas tax increase or a sales tax increase) are relatively well spread out usually and hit every person evenly.There's a good reason for endorsing the idea of user fees vs. taxation, being those who use the services should ideally pay for them. It's free market vs. statism. Unfortunately, what's happening is that we are raising all sorts of fees in Virgnia, but not lowering any of the income, property, BPOL, car, sales, or other taxes across the board. It would be great to move to a system where a moderate income tax augmented by user fees would be the way we do business in Virginia. Unfortunately, there is very little vision lighting that way today. CWN: Pope Benedict calls cardinals to RomeI wonder what's up? When he announced the March 24 consistory, at his regular weekly public audience on February 22, the Holy Father mentioned that he would convene the cardinals for a day of 'reflection and prayer' on the preceding day. The Pope's call for that meeting followed shortly after a February 13 session with the leaders of the Roman Curia.We can be assured this is nothing idle. What it is, I can hardly speculate. It's rare to call the cardinals to Rome just for show. Google Earth at NightNow this is wild! FLS: Spotsylvania School Board stands by HillDisgusting, and in a closed meeting too. What ever happened to government in the sunshine? Where's Archer DiPeppie when we need him?! Ethics demand that Hill step aside during the course of the investigation. If exonerated, he should be reinstated with much fanfare. If guilty, he should pay the fines, restitute society in whatever fashion the court sees necessary, and step down permanently. Of course, if there are unindicted co-conspirators as KG Commonwealth's Attorney Matt Britton indicates, this could be a sign of folks hanging together rather than hanging seperately... Candidate certification bill failsNot a terribly big deal, but Orrock's bill concerning the candidate registration process was pulled by the Senate. Interesting to say the least, though once again I would like to think that honorable people wouldn't let this be a problem. Then again, I am only one man, one opinion... Thursday, February 23, 2006OMT: The Fizzle in the DrizzleNorm makes the comment that this makes the anti-tax movement look like astro-turf rather than grassroots, but "grasstops" might be the better phrase. I'm working right now. How the heck am I going to come down to Richmond for the day? There's a lot of anti-taxers that want to know the answer to that question... Wednesday, February 22, 2006The Cat PianoYou know it's a slow news day when all I have is this. Tuesday, February 21, 2006Blogging with Delegate WardrupDelegate Wardrup graciously decided to host a handful of Virginia bloggers such as Bearing Drift, Commonwealth Conservative, at Norm Leahy's invitation. I was going to live blog it, but I got beat badly by a far superior blogger! Kudos, J.R. I can't add anymore than what others have or will undoubtedly contribute (Delegate Wardrup is a good man for taking his time to talk to us), but I think these conference calls are on to something that's ultimately going be very beneficial to the Virginia Blogosphere. Superintendent Jerry Hill indictedTwo counts: The first accuses Hill of violating a state law that allows governing bodies-not school boards-to publish educational materials on bond referendums. It also alleges that Hill violated another law that bans public school students from being required to deliver materials that advocate support or opposition of candidates or issues such as referendums.Thus begins a lengthy investigation into the actions of the Spotsylvania School Board. Hill's response? Hill's attorneys, Steven Webster and Aaron Book issued a statement this evening, saying they look forward to Hill's exoneration. "Dr. Hill acted with the full approval of the School Board, after consultation with its attorneys."Hill's lessons in leadership #1: When indicted, be sure to blame someone else. Can anyone else explain to me why Hill, during a moment of indictment, is shifting the blame to his most ardent supporters? That is either the worst strategy in the world, or it is the most underhanded and dispicable lack of character I have ever seen. Hill and the Spotsylvania School Board should be punished severely for their actions - save the notable exceptions of Ray Lora and Lee Broughton. Yes it's in the past, but there's no question the SEA and VEA weighed in heavily. For one, I would like to know precisely the extent Hill interfered in my campaign for delegate in June 2005. I'm sure this instance - among others - will come up by the time the special investigation is done. Thank You, President BushCourtesy of DRUDGE REPORT: Bush called reporters at about 2.30 ET aboard Air Force One to issue a very strong defense of port deal... MORE... He said he would veto any legislation to hold up deal and warned the United States was sending 'mixed signals' by going after a company from the Middle East when nothing was said when a British company was in charge... Lawmakers, he said, must 'step up and explain why a Middle Eastern company is held to a different standard.' Bush was very forceful when he delivered the statement... 'I don't view it as a political fight,' Bush said.... MORE... MORE...Precisely, and I'm glad he said it. Middle Eastern companies should not be held up to arbitrary standards. "Arab" does not equal "terrorist". Of Dead Priests and CartoonsBishop Rino Fisichella of Rome expressed his concern for Christian minorities in Muslim countries, most notably the disparity between Muslim violence towards Christians: In a reference to the murder on 5 February of an Italian priest, Andrea Santoro, in Turkey, allegedly killed by a Muslim radical, Fisichella also noted that, 'it is impossible to put on the same level a cartoon and the murder of a priest.'Good point. Where are all the Christian protests in the West? If a Christian had assassinated a Muslim imam, would the response of the radical Muslims be a simple shrug? This has little to do with Muslims vs. Christians. It has more to do with the concept of religious freedom, and how that freedom is being squelched in some parts of the globe. Why Ethics Matter"Kill 'em all!" you say. No mercy for criminals! Here's something to give you pause. Michael Morales was set to be executed at 7:30pm today. The warden intended to carry out the execution with a 5g dose of barbituates, lengthening the time for Morales to die from 11 minutes to 45 minutes. The doctors were ready to go. But the anethesiologists raised an ethical objection: The doctors' concerns hinged on the ethics of returning an inmate to consciousness in the event of a botched lethal injection.Good for them. As for Morales? Morales was returned to his cell on death row, and prison officials declined to describe what the inmate only thought was his last meal.The case seems to be an interesting debate of whether or not lethal injection is really a humane form of carrying out the death penalty. What's more, the ethical conundrum of giving life-saving assistance to someone who "wakes up" after being sedated is a tough question to answer. Your children will read about this case in their textbooks. Monday, February 20, 2006Pell derides 'dissenter' complaintHeh heh heh. A group of Australian theologians sent a letter to the CDF in Rome accusing Archbishop Pell of dissenting opinions. His crime? Denying the supremacy of conscience. Pell's response? He laughed. Now some might jump at this, as Catholic tradition has always upheld the "supremacy" of conscience in the sense that we have the faculties of right judgment. But Pell has argued that conscience must be subordiante to truth - a supremacy within truth as opposed to a supremacy beyond truth. Pell is not new with this approach. The Council of Trent started down this road as a response to Martin Luther in the mid-16th century. What is new is how the dissenters are squealing about it. There are of course two ways to go. Firstly, one can argue that conscience will always act on what it knows to be true, and therefore we have an obligation to act upon that. Secondly, there is the traditional argument that decisions of conscience dictate what is and what is not true, e.g. war, birth control, racism, or other relativistic arguments. The former argument was specifically rejected by the Council of Trent. The latter on the other hand saw a rejuvenation with the Second Vatican Council, proceeding from Pius IX's "invincible ignorance" commentaries in the mid-19th century. Does conscience truly have supremacy not just in perceived truth, but Actual Truth? And what if the two conflict? The dissenters in Australia have chosen a rather interesting path, of which there can be three solutions: (1) Pell is reprimanded. (2) Pell is affirmed. (3) The issue is placed up for debate, in which case the rubric of "dissent" is set up (which is probably what the Australian professors are hoping for in the end). Interesting strategy on the part of the dissenting theologians, but in the end I think Archbishop Pell is mostly right. Interesting as well as to how deeply - if at all - Rome will intervene. If they step back and allow the situation to resolve itself, then the dissenters get another token point, that intellectual freedom is a vital part of dissent and should be tolerated, even if coming from a cardinal so close to Rome. If they squash the dissenter's letter, then what do they do to the idea of intellectual freedom? Even if it is dissenting? QandO: Politicians, Parties, Polarization and PartisanshipOver at QandO, McQ has a great post on Bruce Ackerman's new book on the Founding Fathers: We see any number of articles these days about the polarization of the electorate and the shrillness of debate. Most noting the polarization and the screaming are appalled. They?re interested in why this apparent condition has evolved and what we can do about it.Partisan politics is nothing new, and as McQ goes on to explain, it has been much worse in our history than the present day. Wars have been fought over contested elections -- Lincoln in 1860. Near-wars have occured in the past, notably Jefferson's election in 1800 and Hayes election in 1876 where citizens were drilling in the streets. Still, the idea of the "peaceful transition of power" remains in effect, and is one of the enduring testimonies to the American experiment (as opposed to the tumultuous French experiment with representative government). Sounds like another good book to read, but in the meantime read McQ's thoughts. Probably one of the best posts I've read in a long time. Good Sense Back in the SaddleCharlie Fulgate over at Good Sense has returned from a brief hiatus. Go check him out - plenty of good stuff there. Sunday, February 19, 2006The FLS Addresses Blogging vs. JournalismHere, here, and here. The short version of all three articles is that blogging trades faster response time for less accuracy than traditional journalism. Whether I agree with that remains to be seen (e.g. blogging can be a form of journalism, a courtesy yet to be extended by the MSM). It's very 101 level stuff, but not a bad primer if you have no idea what a blog is. Saturday, February 18, 2006Courtland High School Class of 1996A gratuitous post just to drive up the Google score for my high school reunion for the Courtland High School Class of 1996. RLC-VAAfter bringing David from the brink and holding a terrific kickoff meeting last night in Fredericksburg, the RLC-VA is up and running again. What is the RLCVA? Simply stated: Our goals are to elect pro-liberty candidates to office, and to educate andFellow RLC-VA members such as Jon Henke of QandO, Rick Sincere, and Republitarian himself (who after a brief theological discussion to kick things off has judged me thusly) put forward what I beleive is a great strategy for short-term growth from an excellent core group. For those of us unfamiliar with the Republican Liberty Caucus (RLC), it is the brainchild of Texas Representative Ron Paul. The Virginia chapter is about two years old, and eagerly looking for like-minded volunteers. Look for an RLCVA convention in Charlottesville sometime this May. Friday, February 17, 2006Droppin' like flies...First Caroline was sick on Monday, followed by Matthew on Tuesday and Jonathan on Wednesday. Since then, all three have been largely out of commission, with the notable exception of Caroline who sat with me eating and feeding me chocolate while we watched a movie. Needless to say, all three of them are going to the doctor. Matt and Jon haven't really eaten much of anything, and dehydration is a concern. So that (and work) are reasons for the light blogging recently. In the meantime, you can place your bets on the upcoming ice storm that's supposed to hit us on Sunday. Stay tuned to Virginia Centrist for all your meterological needs (100% accurate so far). Thursday, February 16, 20063D Painted RoomsI'm not sure what the pracitcal use of this is, but it still looks pretty cool. Briggman: Back to the Libertarian Party for ME.I was very encouraged to see the emergence of a Republican Liberty Caucus in Virginia, not simply because Virginia was the last one to do so, but because it brightened my hopes for a marriage between libertarian ideas of small government and conservatives who knew how to make it work. More importantly, as the Green Party is demonstrating to the Democratic Party today, if we do not cater to our base, that base simply breaks apart. Libertarians of the Goldwater ideal have always been on the brink, and a much more important consituency to pay attention to than lukewarm moderates. So when the RLCVA got started, I encouraged folks like David Briggman to come speak to the Spotsylvania Republican Commitee, became a member of the RLCVA, and encouraged as often as I could. Now it seems as if Mr. Briggman has pulled up his tent stakes and gone back to the LP, courtesy of Republitarian: It may seem strange to some of you, since I haven't bothered running this by anyone, that my belief in government and what are and what are not it's legitimate functions are not shared by even a vocal minority in the Democrat Party, but are also not shared by the vocal majority in the Republican Party.I can understand the frustration, and while solidarity is not the libertarian's forte, I disagree with Mr. Briggman's approach. If we are serious about reducing the size and power of government, organizations such as the Republican Liberty Caucus are going to be cornerstones of that change. Sure we all get dismayed when conservatives - much less Republicans - don't walk the walk. Walking away resolves nothing and only capitulates to the stubborn FDR-era mentality that government is the only efficient producer of all things. UK Guardian: Abortions at home are safeMore on the topic of politics trumping science, this time from the UK. When the MSM act like blogs...Interesting hullabaloo over Vice President Dick Cheney's decision to be interviewed by FOX News rather than CNN: Fox News executives cast the scoop as the result of persistence and the growing clout of the top-rated cable news network.As opposed to cable channels that are unsympathetic to the Republican administration? Jim Bacon has a lengthy spiel arguing that the MSM's fitration of information is the beginning of the end for traditional methods of news reporting: A recurring theme in this blog is, "Who Will Gather the News?" As the MSM business model fails, resources are cut and the quality of its political reporting continues to flag, where will people get their news? The news, I think, will come increasingly from bloggers and the newsmakers themselves.Not only are the newsmakers generating their own information, but they are also deciding how that information will be presented. What's more, individuals are getting wiser, filtering out what is good hard information and what is nonsensical fluff. Stephen Hawking on the Essence of Equations"Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe?" I love the evolution/creationism debates, or any debate that involves scientific theories "eroding" the truths of Christianity. Not once have I stumbled across such an event. Faith and reason all lead to the same end: truth. Bacon's Rebellion: What Is the "Senate GOP Trust"?If the schism within the Virginia GOP is not more readily apparent than in the Senate, I don't know where else to point. My question, as Jim Bacon asked yesterday, is what precisely is this "Republican Leadership Trust"? The splinters are showing... Tuesday, February 14, 2006Hirons BlogWell, I am no longer the only blogger in the Fredericksburg area. Scott Hiron's of Hirons Blog has joined the crew. ...on the Republican side of the aisle, of course! Welcome to the blogosphere, Scott! FLS: Wilder Excoriates Lora For Questioning SpendingSpotsylvania School Board member Ray Lora questioned the wisdom of asking the Board of Supervisors for an additional $11 million dollars, even after a $4.6mil sales tax windfall and an additional $13mil from the state budget. Here's what is dissent earned him: Board member Martin Wilder weighed the school budget against needs such as public safety or transportation. 'You absolutely do not take money out of the pocket of public education to do those things,' he said.Which - as I'm sure Wilder knows - is a direct violation of item #6 of the Spotsylvania School Board's Code of Ethics: 6. I will encourage individual board member expression of opinion and establish an open, two-way communication process with all segments of the community.Wilder owes Lora an apology. Congratulations to Ray Lora for standing up to Martin Wilder, and to Lee Broughton for sticking up for Mr. Lora. It's high time we saw some common-sense on the part of our school board to rein in its most radical members. Wilder's recommendation to Lora to "line item" the School Budget is a joke. The budget as presented to the school board is in block format, with no degree of specification (as one can see here). Sure there are specific categories, but no details. How would one even begin to start? What's worse is that there's no correlation with other school systems in Virginia. Total cost of educating a student in the Spotsylvania schools is $10,500 per student for a $296 million budget. Nevermind that four out of five high schools are below the state average for SAT scores. Something is wrong with this school system, and it's not for lack of spending. I'm not trying to slam the Spotsylvania School Board directly. Yes we all want a good public education system, but there's a problem here that has nothing to do with tax dollars. Not only is there a spending problem, there's an attitude problem towards those who want to make the system work better and get it thinking outside of the box. The political dynamic foisted upon good people who want to make the education system work is frustrating for any budget analyst, and even more so for someone like Ray Lora who genuinely wants to see some efficiency. OMT: Gilmore at the TMGCourtesy of Norm, former Governor Jim Gilmore sounds off on the state of the GOP, among other things. Who's to blame in the flame game?Most everyone has been either involved in one, or seen one occur. The flame war. Two or more bloggers, posters, chat room participants go head to head in virtual combat. Now there's science as to why: Readers misinterpret the tone of an e-mail message about half the time, according to a new study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. But people think they've correctly interpreted messages about 90 percent of the time, the study found.That whole "when you point a finger, three fingers are pointing back at you" thing... Spotsylvania's FinestCourtesy of the Drudge Report (yes, we made national news), from NBC 12, Spotsylvania's deputies make the news: The Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office is under fire this morning for the way they investigate certain prostitution cases. Undercover detectives have reportedly been having sex when they bust massage parlors for prostitution. Sheriff Howard Smith says the detectives are just doing what needs to be done in order to build a case and get a conviction. He says they are not doing anything illegal or new. But County Supervisor Henry Connors Jr. says he wants the practice to stop.Disgusting. Resignations should be in order, starting immediately. The Free Lance-Star has the following: Three women are charged with residing in a bawdy place. One of those women, 51-year-old Kwi Ok Aguirre, is also charged with sodomy and prostitution in connection to the alleged sexual activity with police, Smith said.And from the Richmond-Times Dispatch: Neely said yesterday that detectives can engage in sexual activity on the job "within reason." Charles J. Key Sr., a retired Baltimore police lieutenant who trains police officers and federal agents across the country, told the Post that Spotsylvania's practice was "insane." He and others said undercover officers need only obtain an offer of sex-for-money to make a case.Within reason, Mr. Neely? If this were a drug bust, and the deputies invovled "volunteered" to take drugs in order to get convictions, they'd go to jail. And so would a whole string of people involved. Not only do I forsee investigations, resignations should be on the order for every single person involved in this case, starting with Neely for approving it, Smith for following through, and the handful of deputies dishonoring their badge. What a disgrace. Monday, February 13, 2006The Jaded JD: Notes on the Virginia BlogosphereJaded JD has come out of hibernation again, this time to chastise the Virginia Blogosphere with rods and remind us of what decorous conversation should be: Be nicer to each other. Ostracize those who are not nice. There are modern rules of etiquette, and those bores who decline to observe them should be sent to the little children's table and not be fed with the adults. Indulge freely in those harboring opinions that diverge from your own, but be ruthless in excluding those who are rude. Messrs. Dotson, Leahy, Vehrs, and Kenney the Elder all held varying opinions to each other, and are certainly quite at odds with my ideology, but we've all had our disagreements respectfully. Conversely, whether another blogger agrees or disagrees with you, if the other blogger does it nastily, he should be excoriated for his rudeness, regardless of ideology. We are, or all of us ought to be, gentle people. We are, after all, Virginians--though some not so long steeped in it as others.And that was just point #3! Go read it all. Saturday, February 11, 2006RU-486 is Killing WomenI've ranted and raved against mifepristone, not just for the obvious effects of inducing abortions, but because the drug simply isn't safe. Few studies, and the ones that were performed were so small as to be inconclusive, or so politically driven that they were ultimately worthless. Now the politicalization of RU-486 is coming home to roost: The federal government has called an unusual scientific conference to look into two related bacterial infections, one that killed four California women who took an abortion pill and the other that has caused outbreaks of diarrhea and colitis in hospitals and nursing homes across the nation.Mifepristone works by shedding the interior lining of the uterus, causing bleeding sufficient enough to induce an abortion. The problem is that it affects different women in radically different ways, from a mild period to literally bleeding to death. Before mifepristone was legalized in the United States, there was deep concern about it's results in France where it had been legal for years. Still, because the issue was abortion and not science, pro-abortion lobbyists crammed it through the FDA process, much to the bewilderment of those I associated with at DEA. To be honest, my previous concerns were the "bleeding on a gurney" effect where nurses could not stop the hemmoraging. There were something on the order of 400 deaths in France thanks to mifepristone, and we couldn't clearly identify why it was happening to some and not to others, and what if anything could be done about it. But some didn't care at all. Politics first was the cry of NOW, Planned Parenthood, and NARAL. Lord help you if you stood in the way, because then you're just another one of those domineering, condescending males who can't possibly understand abortion, trying to impose your heavy-handed laws on women's bodies... The new concern now seems to be the bleeding is inducing a form of toxic shock syndrome caused by a bacterial infection: The two bacteria are Clostridium sordellii and Clostridium difficile, which generally live in the soil and in human intestinal tracts. Both thrive in environments with limited oxygen. When these bacteria infect the bloodstream, they can produce a toxin that causes something akin to toxic shock syndrome.Here again is what gets me so upset. Lives could have been saved if we had just followed through on the process of studying - not pushing - mifepristone. Yes, I am personally opposed to abortion, and think it is a social evil that should be obliterated. Professionally though, the ordeal of mifepristone should be a stark warning to NOW, Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and every other pro-abortion group who pushed for the legalization of mifepristone, putting politics above a posteriori truth, because the lives of those young women are on their heads. What they did was criminal to say the least. Let's hope the FDA is successful in re-estabilshing the independence of the scientific method. BlogThis! is backGiven all of the hiccups with Blogger over the past two days, you may have thought that some people fell off the face of the earth. Of course, once the Blogger updates were finished, Google's BlogThis! feature was incompatible... Crisis averted. Now I can continue to blog without having to jump to the Blogger website every time. For those bloggers without the Google Toolbar, download it at your earliest opportunity and set up the BlogThis! button ASAP. I would have lost interest in blogging long ago if I didn't have this tool. It certainly makes the job easier! I have no idea what you're talking about...
First the fuss over Mohammed, now the fuss over a picture of the Virgin Mary naked (please note the lack of riots and embassy-burning that followed).
Of course, the photoshoppers over at Fark have their response:
Friday, February 10, 2006Attaboy, Delegate OrrockNow this is the Delegate Orrock I remember working for! (Y)esterday, Del. Bobby Orrock, R-Caroline -- who had his own tax proposals in 2004 -- stood on the House floor to denounce the idea that transportation improvements must go hand-in-hand with tax increases.Sounds as if Delegate Orrock's leadership against the transportation tax hike is frustrating the designs of the Democrats. Relieved to hear it. House Republicans are tired of the zero-sum game being played, and to see that their numbers include some of the Republicans who broke ranks in 2004 - including my own delegate - is a great sign. Ten time happier about the state of the GOP than I was before reading that! Thursday, February 09, 2006Snow's a comin'Heh, and my brother thought he was going to Atlantic City this weekend. SST: The Politics of DefeatOld Zach over at Sic Semper Tyrannis has come to a farsighted conclusion: One of these days, Virginia's voters are going to wake up and look at their tax bills in shock and then they'll feel the oppressive hand of excessive regulation and the poor quality of government-provided services and they're going to be angry. Then the next thing they'll do is look at who was in charge while all this taxing and wasteful spending was going on and they'll see it was the GOP.Amen. OMT: Howell on School ChoiceBy way of One Man's Trash: At a recent legislative briefing in Richmond, Speaker Howell was asked about education spending and school choice. Specifically, a person in attendance asked the Speaker to explain why home school and private school parents should continue to support Republicans when Republicans keep cutting them out of school choice tax credits, as the House did earlier this week. Howell's initial reaction was, 'Who else are you going to support?' The Speaker immediately tried to soften his statement, but the damage was done.Sometimes slips like this happen, and no damage is done. But when parents who send their children to private, parochial, or home schools don't see any support for their values at the end of the day... Of course, this is nothing new to the home schooling crowd. It's rare to find a candidate willing to go to bat for a group that bucks the entire public school estabilshment and their lobbying arm. Too Conservative: Virginia Taxes Up 55-percent in 10 YearsJim Riley over at Too Conservative lays it in to the moderate Republicans in the Senate: Virginia currently ranks 31st in the nation in rate of taxation while Maryland is 15th. We better get Chichester et al. packing before they put us into the top half (if not quarter) of high-tax states. If he loves Maryland's tax rates so much, instead of trying to remake Virginia into a Maryland clone, perhaps he should just move across the river and enjoy the real thing.Rob Whitney comments, "(i)f this tax package passes Riley we will break the top 20." Wednesday, February 08, 2006Mammuthus jeffersoniNickfinity has renamed his website The Jefferson Mammoth: From what I remember mammoths are the only elephant like creature to have roamed the US, but now, like Republicans with Jeffersonian principles, they are extinct. Hence, the name. Ok, not all Republicans have abandoned the ideals of smaller government, free markets, and individual liberty, but we seem to be outnumbered.That's awesome. Definitely a blog you should keep your eye on. NLS: Musical Chairs for VCAP ChallengersFrom our friends over at Not Larry Sabato, we see the latest rumor: While it would seem best to leave failed candidates in their originial districts the GOP Caucus feels otherwise and has been chatting with failed VCAP Republican candidates getting ready to ask them to move into other district.Somewhere in Virginia, an eyebrow is raised... Save The GOP: Pro-lifer Assaulted at W&MDisgusting, but if you've ever participated in a pro-life march or demonstration, it's entirely typical. Tuesday, February 07, 2006Blurb books your blogsYou knew this was coming eventually. Blurb is a program that can take your blog and turn it into a book. I can see the "Best of the Virginia Blogosphere" rolling off the printing presses right now... Scientist predicts 'mini Ice Age'Yes yes, I know there is a fallacy that whenever a "scientist" proclaims an event, it must be true. Still, given that most of the scientific community seems rather split regarding the causes and effects of global warming, it's interesting to hear the following hypothesis: Khabibullo Abdusamatov of the Pulkovo Astronomic Observatory in St. Petersburg said Monday that temperatures will begin falling six or seven years from now, when global warming caused by increased solar activity in the 20th century reaches its peak, RIA Novosti reported.Which is an entirely plausible explanation. Monday, February 06, 2006Rejecting Iraq yet Supporting Abortion?Spanish Archbishop Francisco Gil calls out those who reject the war to liberate Iraq while tolerating self-imposed evils at home: Archbishop Gil said the national and international media were rightly "outraged" by the prisoner abuse scandal at Abu Grab but that this was "Snow white in comparison to what happens with the aborted unborn: most of them are dismembered, others are poisoned, others are cut to pieces. After 21 weeks, the mother undergoes a caesarian and the fetus is extracted alive and left to die."Totaltarianism is rightly rejected for the reasons His Excellency outlined, regardless of where or how it happens in the world. SuperBowl CommercialsJust in case you missed any of them. Jesuits to elect new 'black pope' in 2008Fr. Kolvenbach is expected to resign as Superior General in two years, when he turns 80. Here's a great story attributed to Fr. Kolvenbach: Speaking to the National Catholic Reporter's John L. Allen, Australian Jesuit Fr Dan Madigan said that Kolvenbach 'won the confidence of the Jesuits with his intelligence, wisdom and great experience,' while at the same time gaining the trust of the Holy See.A very Jesuitical answer if I've ever heard of one. The Jesuits in America -- moreso than our diocesan priests -- have been caricatured as liberal. In the case of taking down the crosses in the classrooms at Georgetown, sometimes deservedly so. Overall though, American Catholics tend to be the black sheep of the Church, emphasising the worst qualities of the "Ugly American" stereotype. We could use some good Jesuits in the United States. It's ironic how the Jesuits, considered to be the most independent of all the orders in Catholicism, just might be the thing we need to bring Catholicism in America back to its senses. Google blacklists BMW.deSlick, but too slick: Cutts explained that when Google's crawlers visited a BMW page, it saw blocks of text with repeated key search words such as 'neuwagen,' which means 'new car' in German. However, when a user visited the listed page they would be automatically redirected to another page with less text and more pictures, which was more attractive than the page the crawler saw, but would have scored lower in Google's PageRank system.I've always thought about doing something like that, but I've never tried it, (1) because I had no reason to, and (2) it sort of breaks the Google ethic of "don't be evil." Interesting though. Sunday, February 05, 2006NLS: The official VA Blogosphere Super Bowl Pick'em- UPDATED AGAINConsistent with my earlier prediction for the Super Bowl: * Jerome Bettis will run for two TDs on the game and be the MVP. * Shaun Alexander will be held to fewer than 100 yards. * Roethlisberger will be shut down offensively, giving the ball to Willie Parker and Jerome Bettis for a grind 'em out running game for most of the game. * Jackson will score both TDs for the Seahawks. * Halftime score? Pittsburgh 14 Seattle 10. * FINAL SCORE: Pittsburgh 21 Seattle 17. You read it here first. UPDATE: Pittsburgh 21 Seattle 10. No TD for Bettis or Jackson, but I was feeling pretty confident right up until 3:00 to go in the 4th. Great game though, and rumor is that Randel-El just might be coming to the Redskins next year... Tim Kaine's Left EyebrowYep. It's on eBay. Courtesy of The People's Cube. Saturday, February 04, 2006Hamas tells West to take its aid and 'get lost'Stupid, stupid politcal calculus on the part of the West: Leading Hamas official Mahmoud Zahar rejected Western and Egyptian pressure for his movement to recognize Israel and renounce violence.HAMAS hasn't needed Western support for its hospitals, schools, orphanages, etc. for years. Why on earth would (a) the West feels as if we could hold aid over the Palestinians, and (b) as if HAMAS would come crawling on its knees begging for a change in heart? The better option would have to allow Palestine to rely on Western aid. Now, what possible soft leverage do we have? Brokeback to the FutureIt was an experiment in time. But the one variable they forgot, was love... Funniest thing I've seen since they passed the Chronic (wha?) -cles of Narnia. Two bombs found in TexasFor those who don't believe domestic terrorism is any less a threat than foreign terrorism... My how far we've come, and how much further we have to go..My parents can vaugely remember this era. My grandparents most certainly. So it's always a certain struggle for individuals my age to try to understand what segregation mush have been like, what an injustice it was, and how heroic those who fought for its end must have been. But as this morning's Free Lance-Star reminds us, there are some who do not forget: You go to the bus terminal in Fredericksburg; they had a little room for you to sit to wait for the bus. If they served coffee, they had a black cup and a white cup. The black cup was given to the black people and the white cup was for the white people.Sometimes you have to wonder how you would fight against injustice. Would you have been socially conditioned to accept what was? Would you have fought? If working in such an establishment, would you have served black customers at the expense of your job? Social scorn and contempt? The self-righteous might thump their chest and say they would do the right thing, but it's amazing what certain people will do for the comfort of approval. Stories such as these remind us that doing what is right -- and doing what is popular -- are rarely, if ever, the same thing. Not to mention the service these stories provide to struggle and persevere in the face of the injustices we face today. Friday, February 03, 2006Commonwealth Watch: Refocus the EnergyLet this be a lesson to all of us that such idle speculation is what will separate us as blogs from print media. I'll have more on this as I get my dander up, but for cryin' out loud guys... QandO: The Decline of the DemocratsDale Franks over at QandO suspects what I've been saying here all along -- the Democratic Party is taking a step to the right: I believe we are edging closer to a time when the two parties, as we have known them, will no longer exist. I beleive the Democratic Party is on the verge of a historical split. One of those resulting parties will be an angry party of the left, doomed to electoral irrelevance. Hopefully, the other party will be a rational, respectable, center-left party that will serve a useful purpose, in both opposition and government.As the Dems start moving more and more to the right, the question is whether or not the GOP is going to be able to adapt and/or survive as this new center-left party emerges. To date, waving our hands in the air screaming seems to be the answer, with the exception of a notable, unruffled, and wise few. Welcome to the American political phenonenon known as realignment! Thursday, February 02, 2006Open WorkbenchGoodbye MS Project! Hello Open Workbench. Why the heck is anyone going to pay $600 in-store for a open-source program they could download for free? Roll Call: Do-Over on First BallotHeh. House Republicans are taking a mulligan on the first ballot for Majority Leader. The first count showed more votes cast than Republicans present at the Conference meeting. Stay with RollCall.com for updates.A mulligan, eh? Now you know why Republicans don't stuff ballot boxes. We're terrible at it. Four Things...Via NoVA Democrat and SkepticalObservor: Four Things Four jobs I've had 1. Management Analyst 2. Policy Analyst 3. Paralegal 4. Mechanic Four movies I can watch over and over 1. Braveheart 2. Death of the White Maramut 3. Metropolis 4. Wayne's World Four places I've lived 1. Fredericksburg, Virginia 2. Caroline County, Virginia 3. Washington, D.C. 4. Baumholder, Germany Four TV shows I love I don't watch much television. Neither should you! Four places I've vacationed 1. Israel 2. Corolla, North Carolina 3. (Insert your favorite) Beach, Virginia 4. Luray, Virginia Four of my favorite dishes 1. Chicken Parmesan 2. Bistecca 3. Kibbe 4. Breaded porkchops Four sites I visit daily 1. Drudge Report 2. FARK.com 3. The Free Lance-Star 4. Civilization Fanatics (Civ 4) Four places I would rather be right now: 1. At home with my kids 2. At home with my wife 3. Praying in front of the Blessed Sacrament 4. Hanging out with my brothers. Four bloggers I am tagging: No no no no... the madness must stop somewhere! Wednesday, February 01, 2006OMT: Wailing and Gnashing of TeethNorman over at OMT brings it home: I've some rather dark thoughts as to why that may have happened (could they even be Black? Yes.). Another is that there just may be a reason the Stonewall Jackson statue on Richmond's Monument Avenue faces north.Agreed. Until we answer the question "Quo vadis?", why pray tell are we so obsessed with a majority?
|
|
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
ArchivesMarch 2002 April 2002 May 2002 June 2002 July 2002 August 2002 September 2002 October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 April 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009
|
|
