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Friday, November 30, 2007Virginia's State Song?Governor Kaine has stated his preference for a new state song. Of course, everyone knows that the real state song should be Old Dominion by Eddie from Ohio. Thursday, November 29, 2007Reagan's GOPFormer Senator Marty Williams ...is blogging. Seems like the blogosphere is (quickly) becoming the repository for former elected officials, though I'd really hope this is a sign of "red meat" posting, rather than efforts to keep names floating for the next big campaign. Yet another blog to add to the old RSS feed (though the frontpage is awful convoluted). Tuesday, November 27, 2007CNET: Windows XP outshines Vista in benchmarking testHeh. Now if Linux could ever run games properly... Roanoke Red ZoneFormer State Senator Brandon Bell... is blogging! Bell kicks off by kicking Jim Gilmore, and then by talking about how to bring conservatives and This new leadership team would seem to signify the end of the long standing division between the centrist and conservative wings in the Senate. This is unquestionable a good thing. I spent four years in the Senate working to unite the two factions, a task that could be incredibly frustrating. It is rewarding to see this outcome, if not also a bit disappointing to see it as my term ends.Very statesman-like. Of course, Bell can offer an insight few others can into the workings of the Virginia Senate, as he joins both former Virginia Governors as bloggers (to some degree). I'm interested in seeing where this goes, especially if we get more red meat posts like the two Bell has up so far. Worth adding to your RSS feed. Monday, November 26, 2007The Dilbert Blog: Going Forward
I hoped that people who loved the blog would spill over to people who read Dilbert, and make my flagship product stronger. Instead, I found that if I wrote nine highly popular posts, and one that a reader disagreed with, the reaction was inevitably “I can never read Dilbert again because of what you wrote in that one post.” Every blog post reduced my income, even if 90% of the readers loved it. And a startling number of readers couldn’t tell when I was serious or kidding, so most of the negative reactions were based on misperceptions.I view this as a decidedly bad thing, but something that musicians have known about fan sites for years. Fan sites typically define the musician, and for better or worse narrow what it means to be a fan of X band. This is why many musicians will ruthlessly seek out and destroy fan sites, especially when they make it big. Thus the victory of Expressive Choice Theory: People don't do X to produce Y, they do X to claim status as X-doers. Security, Freedom, and the Reagan-Goldwater EraPatrick Ruffini has an excellent post on the Ron Paul candidacy and what it means for lowercase-l libertarians: Mainstream Republican libertarians might be gung-ho for Paul’s small-government idealism, they might adopt Glenn Reynoldsish skepticism of the homeland security bureaucracy, and even John McCain has lately made a thing of ripping the military-industrial complex, but there is no way — I repeat NO WAY — they will embrace Ron Paul if he continues to blame America for 9/11 and imply that America is acting illegally in defending itself around the globe. Even if they aren’t the biggest fans of the war, most people that are available for Ron Paul on the right are by temperament patriotic and will never vote for someone who sounds like Noam Chomsky.Naturally, Mr. Sullivan has problems with this comparison, which he describes in detail: A libertarian also understands that there is no deeper threat to liberty than war and that a state of permanent war is close to the end of libertarianism. Hence the discomfort with amorphous wars against "drugs" or "terror," wars in which no enemy can ever surrender or ever be defeated. Patrick needs to grapple with that, it seems to me.Sullivan misses the target, posing a contradiction where there is none. Need an example? The Cold War, that "endless war" against Soviet Communism was no different than a war against drug cartels or terror organizations given Sullivan's definition. Yet civil liberties at home did not suffer at the hands of increased security abroad. After all, during the Reagan years how many Russian Studies majors would have argued the Soviet Union would be a mere memory in 10 years time? Of course, all this Ron Paul navel-gazing is done against the backdrop of the Reagan-Goldwater era, where lowercase-l libertarianism (classical liberalism if you prefer) was ascendant in the GOP from 1964 onward. Whether the Ron Paul candidacy is prodding the sleeping classical liberal giant, or whether it is a flash-in-the-pan coalition of kooks and conspiracy theorists remains to be seen. Nonetheless, if Ruffini's instincts are right about the Ron Paul candidacy, the Reagan-Goldwater majority is looking to perform an electoral version of a hat trick -- even if Ron Paul may not be the man to do it. Let's hope for takers -- if not in 2008, then soon. SixtyFour81Yet another SWAC blog, this time with a catchy name. Worth a peek if you're in and around Augusta County. It's Morning in VirginiaNew blog covering central and western Virginia. Give 'em a look (and some encouragement). One Laptop Per ChildBy now, you've probably seen all those $399 laptop specials floating around the Wal-Marts and websites of the world. For the same price, not only can you get a pretty darned solid Linux laptop, but give one to a child in the Third World as well. Not a bad Christmas present. Sunday, November 25, 2007NYT: As Democrats See Security Gains in Iraq, Tone ShiftsGee, go figure. TIME: The Morality QuizMost people answer these wrong. How so? Because they are all different versions of lifeboat ethics. Essentially, the scenarios present situations where the few or one must die in order to save the many. Many people choose the lesser evil -- kill the few. This having been said, there's a moral problem to choosing one or the other, if you believe individuals are to be respected as such. Most respondents will (rightly) agonize over the choice in a classroom setting... a good sign. Still, many will answer one way or another. Tricky utilitarianists will make the argument that because one has chosen to throw one life overboard for the betterment of the majority, this argues for a whole host of concepts (abortion, slavery, necessity of the Third World) that we may find morally distasteful, but nonetheless are chosen -- and at times tolerated by -- societies and governments. Of course, what is being argued isn't a case of utilitarianism in the purest sense, but proportionalism. Proportionalist ethics make the argument that one can do evil and affect good -- a contradiction in the highest regard. Hence where lifeboat ethics ultimately fail. As the captain of the boat, it holds 800 lbs. of weight, and there are 1200 lbs. of person. As the boat rapidly fills with water, you state the situation to the crew and ask for volunteers. None reply. What do you do? Let's put it another way, as TIME Magazine offers many alternatives: An out of control trolley is heading down a track toward five unsuspecting people and will surely kill them all. You could throw a switch diverting it to a siding, but an equally unsuspecting man is standing there and the train will kill him instead. Could you throw the switch, killing one to save five?What if you could take the place of the man. Would you? Better yet, what if you knew the boat could only hold 800 lbs. and there were 1000 lbs. of crew on the boat. Would you throw your 200 lbs. body overboard to save the rest? That is the real answer to these questions. Given rational actors, what would they choose for themselves? Better yet, would you be prepared to make a similar sacrifice? The endgame becomes a bit more clear at this point. If chosen on your behalf, the act becomes morally questionable. If freely chosen, the act becomes honorable. Free will and voluntary actors are the crux of the argument. It's too bad the "quiz" never addresses this, and allows for moral ambiguity to muddy an otherwise beneficial thought experiment. Saturday, November 24, 2007RWL: It is very depressing (but hardly surprising)...D.J. McGuire effortlessly destroys an argument over at Democratic Central that the GAO "withheld" information regarding the surge. Go check it out. Of course, Democratic Central isn't exactly the hub for all things Democratic... it's central as in Central Virginia (and does have some great historical posts up). Friday, November 23, 2007Now At The Podium: Sarkozy 1, Old Socialist Ways 0Phil Chroninger has the scoop. Goodbye, Modern Music!Hello Gregorian Chant! Pope Benedict XVI is bringing back the tradition of Gregorian chant at the Vatican in a long-standing dispute regarding new and differing styles of music during the Mass. Pope John Paul the Great favored the new styles of music (probably more than Blessed Pope John XXIII did), and encouraged their participation frequently. This probably doesn't mean much to non-Catholics, but given the almost tacit giveaway in the United States between a more traditional parish and a more liberated parish based upon it's musical tastes, and you can see why this might be an issue... though such a motivation isn't even close to the point as to why Pope Benedict XVI instituted the reform. We are moving into an era of liturgical revolution. Benedict detests the feeble "folk Masses" that have remained the staple fare of Catholic worship long after they went out of musical fashion.Culture is the point, and rediscovering that culture in the Latin Rite is the very root of these reforms. Besides, folk Masses are so... old and stale and vapid and... arrgh! It puts me to sleep, not to mention the kids! I can only imagine what today's music would have inspired if the so-called liturgical revolution of the 1960's happened today.... Party of the Rich? Not Whom You'd Think...According to the WaTi via the Heritage Foundation, if you live in the top one-third of America's wealthiest Congressional districts, chances are you're represented by a Democrat. The article goes into how this new shift in demographics is altering the face of the Democratic Party in Washington... right down to opposing certain tax hikes on hedge fund managers to offset the elimination of the Alternative Minimum Tax in Rep. Rangle's $1 trillion dollar tax hike schematic. Thursday, November 22, 2007Happy Thanksgiving!While the battle between Virginia and Massachusetts continues for claim to the first Thanksgiving (and as any good student of Virginia history will tell you, Virginia wins), the WaPo's Brigid Schulte logs in another chapter in the long simmering debate: When Suhay moved to Virginia Beach five years ago, her children came home from school with tales of Virginia's first Thanksgiving. She was incensed and set out to prove that their teachers were wrong. Instead, she found out that they were right. So she wrote a children's book about the experience. In it, a little boy who discovers the truth about the first Thanksgiving being in Virginia celebrates with ham. He sets about starting a petition to get the president of the United States to pardon not just a turkey, as the president has every year for 60 years -- Bush plans to pardon two turkeys today -- but also a pig. Thus, the book, "Pardon Me, It's Ham, Not Turkey."For the record, the turkey and cranberry sandwiches at Berkley Plantation were dee-licious. No ham sandwiches though... I looked. Guess I'll have to wait 'til Christmas! Perhaps His Excellency the Governor can introduce the tradition? FT: Fears of slowdown in US hit marketsA good indicator that the United States is still driving the global economy, though for how much longer is a real question. The good news? It may give us a chance to firm up the sagging dollar. Bad news? Will we take the opportunity in the next twenty years to do it. Wednesday, November 21, 2007SR-71: Now, That Was Some AirplaneGreat article about the SR-71 Blackbird: In seconds, we can see nothing but the expansive blue of the Mediterranean. I realize that I still have my left hand full-forward and we’re continuing to rocket along in maximum afterburner. The TDI now shows us Mach numbers not only new to our experience but flat out scary. Walt says the DEF panel is now quiet and I know it is time to reduce our incredible speed. I pull the throttles to the min ‘burner range and the jet still doesn’t want to slow down. Normally, the Mach would be affected immediately when making such a large throttle movement. But for just a few moments, old 960 just sat out there at the high Mach she seemed to love and, like the proud Sled she was, only began to slow when we were well out of danger.The excerpt is from a book called Sled Driver. The instance related above was from Libya in 1984... and it is very, very cool. Tuesday, November 20, 2007Mises Institute: Protectionist Rhetoric Will Accelerate the Dollar's SlideGreat article making the argument trade deficits may not be such a bad thing, and why protectionism is the worst thing we could do to the American dollar. SST: Hinkle Gets Most of it RightNorm Leahy's excellent addition to Bart Hinkle's opinion piece on Kaine's repeal of abstinence education: If he (Kaine) is truly interested in restraining state spending in the face of a modest short fall, her should also take his budget knife to a host of other programs receiving state funds, in particular, the earmarks legislators steer toward private nonprofit groups.Good point. Monday, November 19, 2007The Mason Conservative: Best Campaign Ad So FarNot an endorsement from yours truly, but well worth your time. Ham Sandwich Came CloseJim Riley and Greg Letiecq's effort to run a ham sandwich for Commonwealth's Attorney came close... ...well, truth be told, not really. 682 write-in votes was all the deli product could mustard. (get it? ha!) Friday, November 16, 2007A Theory of Everything?A surfer (with a doctorate in theoretical physics) has stumbled -- literally -- upon the Theory of Everything... maybe: Lisi's inspiration lies in the most elegant and intricate shape known to mathematics, called E8 - a complex, eight-dimensional mathematical pattern with 248 points first found in 1887, but only fully understood by mathematicians this year after workings, that, if written out in tiny print, would cover an area the size of Manhattan.You can read the 31-page paper here. If Lisi has stumbled upon the Theory of Everything, it will have a profoud impact on a number of disciplines: physics and philosophy being the first two. FIRST THINGS: Debating the Separation of Religion and PoliticsInteresting debate sponsored by the UK Economist last weekend: Last Saturday, the British magazine The Economist, sponsored a debate on this resolution: "Religion and politics should always be kept separate." There was an audience of about a thousand, and at the beginning of the debate the vote was about five to one in favor of the resolution. This is Manhattan, after all. At the end of the debate the house was pretty evenly divided but still with a slight majority in favor.Read on. This would be a great idea for Virginia newspapers to emulate... and maybe even repeat the speeches, post the debate online, and discuss the results. The fascinating part is that the debate took place in Manhattan. Not exactly the epicenter of conservative thought. Thursday, November 15, 2007FINALLY!If you're as much a fan of Virginia Virtucon's Friday Night Video Fights as I am, then do I have a champion for you. Ladies and gentlemen... I give you Depeche Mode's "Never Let Me Down Again": Let Huey Lewis and his "News" defeat this! Tuesday, November 13, 2007RTD: Universal Food CareBart Hinkle explains in parody form. Friday, November 09, 2007SNOW at Afton Mountain???I kid you not... Mrs. Kenney has just informed me there is a chance for snow tonight on the other side of Charlottesville. It won't be much, but it's a pretty darned clear sign that winter is fast arriving in Central Virginia. Virtucon: Friday Night Video FightsWeek 16 of the Virginia Virtucon epic, this time Huey Lewis vs. Chicago. Go vote! New design!Goofing off? Not really... but I'm trying to give Blogger a second chance before I make the transition to WordPress. Whaddya think? Thursday, November 08, 2007Rube Goldberg would be extremely proud
Friday, November 02, 2007USCCB Hits Hard on AbortionThis ad ran in four publications on Capitol Hill this week. The quote is a shocking, if understated assertion... Thursday, November 01, 2007Ted Genoways @ kottke.orgTed Genoways discusses all the neat awards and attention Virginia Quarterly Review has received since his ascension to the top-dog spot in 2003: JT: I don't know that I've paid that close attention to it, but it seems like more and more of your content is online for free—in addition to an increasing amount of online-only content. You used a Google map as an alternate Table of Contents for your latest issue, on South America in the 21st Century. How important is Web traffic to VQR? It seems like the Internet and, specifically, blog conversation is a huge opportunity for the old print quarterlies—most of whom only have a circulation of four or five figures. Do you get a lot of incoming links from online articles and blogs? Has it changed what you see as your mission? Let's talk possibilities here.I have only recently become a fan of VQR, if only because it's such great writing. The technophile in me absolutely loves the online media changes of late, but mostly I find myself printing off what I can and reading it at lunch (because the journal itself is book-sized). The includes from Spiegelman are simply outstanding. Some of it is a bit artsy for my tastes, but there's no question that there's something for everyone. That full-time web developer, you ask? He's not such a big deal... but he's certainly spearheaded the changes online. If you haven't picked up a copy of VQR, treat yourself. Truly a quality publication.
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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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