Hydroponic Gardening

Cultivating new future at farm, market

2006-04-03T08:16:00.000Z

As director of computer programming for a mail-order pharmaceutical company, Bob Vaughn spent 15 years commuting three hours a day to and from northern New Jersey.

The commute and the 10-hour workdays left little time for family, Vaughn said.

"The day was shot," he said.

That's why the Alpha native left the rat race and started a little farm in Plainfield Township. And he's since added to his resume, as manager of the Easton Farmers' Market, which opens for the season Saturday.

Vaughn, a West Easton resident since 1997, had done a bit of gardening in the past, but had no farming experience before he opened Mona Mae Farms last year.

"I wanted a different kind of career where I could be my own boss," he said.

Hydroponic tomato farmer

Mona Mae Farms, named for Vaughn's mother, features a hydroponic tomato greenhouse. Hydroponics -- the science of growing plants without soil -- allows farmers and home gardeners to extend the growing season through the winter.

After planting his tomatoes around Christmas, Vaughn said he'll have fresh tomatoes by the end of April, instead of by mid-July using traditional farming methods. He's also experimenting with hydroponic lettuce, and is considering growing peppers, cucumbers and eggplants this year the old-fashioned way.

Hydroponic farming is a labor-intensive process. But the peaceful solitary work is a welcome change from the fast-paced climate of his former profession, he said.

A second career at hand

Vaughn -- who designs and maintains Web sites on the side -- never imagined while sitting in front of a computer monitor that he'd be farming tomatoes or managing a farmers' market.

"I could not have predicted it in a million years," Vaughn said. "They say you have two or three careers in a lifetime. This is career number two, so we'll see how it works out."

Vaughn plans to spend his first season as market manager familiarizing himself with the market's operations. But other projects include maintaining and refining the market's new Web site that he designed.

The site will update patrons weekly on new vendors, activities, recipes and biographies on the local vendors. Vaughn said he'll also continue the weekly e-mail newsletter, work to attract new vendors and finalize details for a new frequent buyer program.

"We really want to try to get regular customers to the market," he said.

Changing of the guard

Lynn Prior co-managed the market for three years with Nancy Gameson. At the start of last season, Prior began searching for a new manager.

No one expressed much interest until Vaughn agreed last winter to take over, she said.

As a vendor last season, Vaughn offered input, attended all the board meetings and became involved in special events such as the Garlic Fest and Strawberry Festival, she said.

"He was ready to take over," Prior said.

And Vaughn's homegrown tomatoes?

"Once you taste them, you'll go to the market every week to get his tomatoes," Prior said.

Pot Growers Move Indoors

2006-04-01T22:01:00.000Z

It's a growing trend in New York State: indoor operations cultivating massive crops of marijuana plants. This undercover agriculture yields a better product for the grower, but adds challenges for authorities.

When Steuben County police officers raided a property in Thurston last summer, they found 40 marijuana plants outside, and more than 240 growing inside.

"Around here you're dealing with a climate," explained Steuben County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Joel Ordway. "They can do an indoor grow year-round."

Members of the Steuben County Drug Initiative say indoor growing operations are on the rise locally, but are nothing new. They credit more aerial surveillance and theft.

"There's no honor among growers," Ordway said. "They all steal from each other."

Once indoors, there's the potential for more complex setups, including timed solar lighting and hydroponics like in the Thurston case.

"Anything from somebody growing a couple plants in the greenhouse in the back of their home or their trailer, up to some extremely elaborate indoor grows, where they're in false basements or an entire house," said Steuben County Assistant District Attorney Brooks Baker.

Of course, taking the plants out of the open poses new challenges for law enforcement.

"You're going to have to use more of the same kind of techniques you use in dealing with narcotics cases where it's not outdoors. It's not public," Baker explained. "You're more careful in how you investigate and it's more difficult to develop those leads."

From a prosecution standpoint, busting an indoor operation has its benefits. Baker says they're often accompanied by other illegal narcotics and packaging material that proves intent to sell.

"When you have a plant where they're producing marijuana they also tend to have other things as well," he said. "So, often other charges spin out of it."

With Steuben County boasting its largest number of prosecuted drug cases this past year, the message from those at the helm of the drug initiative is you can run, but you can't hide.

"The number of arrests has not slowed," said Baker. "Everyday I'm getting a phone call from somebody who's out there making an arrest."

By Melissa Batulis

Opinion: Support for Agriculture

2006-04-01T16:55:00.000Z

Self sufficiency might be an impossible goal for Cayman Brac, but with rising fuel cost forever pushing up the price of cargo, any step towards increasing home grown foodstuff is a step in the right direction. The efforts of the Department of Agriculture (DoA) to assist the farmers on Cayman Brac might not appear hugely significant to the majority of the population, but the guidance towards some measure of self-reliance is admirable. The two latest projects – a water tank fed by a solar powered pump, and a seedling propagation facility – edge the Brac away from its total dependence on outside help, and demonstrate how alternative energy can be easily and cheaply incorporated into traditional farming. Teachers who head up the Agriculture Club at the Brac High School are quick to praise Chief Agriculture and Veterinary Officer Dr Alfred Benjamin and his staff for their constant support for all their agricultural projects. While the department has offered the high school encouragement in the development of new and innovative methods of farming, such as hydroponics and aquaculture, it has also been providing help in simple grow-box projects in the primary schools. Whether they are supporting working farmers by solving basic problems, or working with teachers to encourage young minds to develop new ideas and new ways of food production, the DoA is adding buffers to the vulnerabilities of a small island. The future is unpredictable and we had better prepare for all eventualities of a changing world. One day we may have reason to be grateful for the foresight of our Agriculture Department.

Kids Unlimited, Island Academy win big in Science Fair

2006-04-01T16:33:00.000Z

Antigua’s annual National Science Fair came to a close last Friday with Kids Unlimited Primary and Island Academy Secondary scoring the best overall results.

The event was put on through a collaborative effort of the Association for Science & Technology Educators of Antigua & Barbuda (ASTEAB) and the Ministry of Education. It was sponsored mainly by Antigua Computer Technology (ACT) Co. Ltd., and the Antigua Commercial Bank.

The 15 schools that participated in the week long fair at the Multi-purpose Cultural & Exhibition Centre gathered there again last Friday to hear from the judges the results of their efforts. Also present was the Minister of Youth Affairs Winston Williams and Solomon Doumith, the managing director of ACT.

Elton Isaac, president of ASTEAB, said the projects were of an extremely high standard and demonstrated ingenuity, inventiveness, tremendous creativity, scienti-

fic skills as well as resourcefulness.

Dr. Anthony Richards, the government’s chief chemist, spoke on behalf of the chief judge, Dr. Helena Clare Jeffrey Browne, who was unable to attend the ceremony.

He observed that the projects reflected a very wide range of areas, from drawing straight lines to forming a curve, right over to demonstrations of generation of energy. He said the judges were also very pleased with the effort to make the projects dramatic.

The judges, however, advised that in the future the students should make a greater effort to link the projects to the Antiguan & Barbudan situation and prepare to explain the relevance to the local community.

The lack of correct or relevant measurements to accompany the projects was also mentioned. To this Dr. Richards said: “Science and technology is all about being able to prove something by having the facts and figures. So, if you had a windmill to generate electricity, one would like to know the wind speed and what voltage you got from that wind speed. We encourage the teachers to work with the students to be more numerate in the future.”

Barring the few drawbacks to the projects, winners of the pack still emerged, whose projects were just a bit better than the others.

Chantel Byron of Kids Unlimited was named the most outstanding of all the ca-

tegories when she emerged with four individual medals for her project, the Greasel Engine, which is a modified diesel engine designed to use vegetable oil.

Most notably, she won the overall Best Primary School Project ACT plaque. Kids Unlimited was also the best primary school winner.

Eutesha Browne of the Princess Margaret School was also outstanding for receiving five awards for her project, Comparison of Hurricane Protection Practices in the Upper Secondary category.

She won an ACT plaque for the Best Upper Secondary Project and the Environment Division trophy for Best Environmental Project.

Christine Persaud was the big winner in the Lower Secondary category for her project, Oil or Wind. She had the overall best project and won silver in the Environment Division’s best environmental project category.

For the number of projects submitted, the Island Academy Secondary won the Best Secondary school trophy.

The Dr. Hayden Thomas Trophy for Best Chemistry Project went to the Ottos Comprehensive School for Hydroponics, a procedure of growing plants without soil.

By Nikisha Smith

Success can be deep-rooted and rewarding

2006-04-01T16:30:00.000Z

Reaping the award of their labour, several farmers and others were rewarded for their contributions to agriculture at the third annual awards and appreciation ceremony of the Agricultural Society. An impressive display of animals, fruits and vegetables told the story of some successes in agriculture. Lloyd Ramoon (right) was presented with the ‘Champion Poultry, Female’ trophy by Dr Alfred Benjamin, Chief Agricultural and Veterinary Officer, at the Agricultural Society’s Awards Ceremony. Photo: Christopher Tobutt

Paul Bodden received several trophies during the evening, including the Grand Champion Cow trophy, the Champion Livestock Farmer on Show, and the Equestrian Federation Participation trophy

Zelmalee Ebanks, with Dr Alfred Benjamin, and the many trophies won by her and her husband, William Ebanks

The Agricultural Society’s third annual Awards and Appreciation Ceremony took place at the Stacy Watler Agricultural Pavilion in Lower Valley. Minister of Agriculture, Hon Kurt Tibbetts, spoke about the progress that agriculture had made over the past year, as evidenced by the impressive display of animals, fruits and vegetables at the Agricultural Show on Ash Wednesday.

Mr Tibbetts went on to praise farmers for their efforts in livestock and crop improvement: “I am totally certain farming is alive and well, and I am confident about next year’s show,” he said. Mr Tibbetts also commended the Agriculture Department in their commitment to offering assistance to farmers.

He also spoke of a new Agro-Tourism scheme, and encouraged farmers to attend a special meeting to discuss it on 10 April. “We are going to see the project through…and end up with a project we can all be proud of,” he commented.

As he ended his speech, Mr Tibbetts confirmed his ministry’s commitment to encouraging and supporting farmers. After everyone enjoyed eating the locally produced and prepared food, a practical reminder of what the Cayman Islands can produce, the trophies were awarded.

Errol Watler, President of the Cayman Islands Agricultural Society began by presenting an award to Prison Director, Dwight Scott, for the participation of the prisons. There followed awards of appreciation for the continued support of the K9 dog-handlers demonstration team.

The Cayman Islands Boy Scouts Association, the Seventh Day Adventist Pathfinders, and Savannah, North Side, and Red Bay Primary Schools also gained appreciation awards. The Award of Long Service and Dedication went to Mr and Mrs Neals Godfrey, for their 20 years of dedicated service to the management of the gate on the day of the Agricultural Show.

The Awards for the Most Consistent Schools’ Agricultural Programme were won by Cayman Brac High School for their Hydroponics and Aquaculture Programmes, and the Lighthouse School for their ‘Grow Box’ project. Shirley Ann Tibbetts presented the awards for the best District stalls. The first place went to East End, second place to North Side, and the third place went to George Town.

North Side farmers William and Zelmalee Ebanks gained several trophies during the evening, including Champion Exhibitor of Fruits and Champion Exhibitor of Vegetables. Zelmalee Ebanks also gained another award, along with Adelaide Ebanks: ‘Champion Exhibitor of Home Products.’

Dr Alfred Benjamin, Chief Agricultural and Veterinary Officer, then awarded trophies for livestock. John McLean Senior won trophies for both the Grand Champion Rabbit and Grand Champion Bull. The trophy for Champion Poultry, Male, went to Lascelles Johnson and the trophy for Champion Poultry, Female was presented to Lloyd Ramoon. T

he trophy for Grand Champion Goat went to Iverston Ebanks, and Paul Bodden won the trophy for Grand Champion Cow, one of several other trophies that he gained during the evening. Livestock Farmer of the Year trophy for Grand Cayman went to Kent Rankin, and Dwayne McFarlane won the Cayman Brac trophy.

Grand Cayman Crop Farmer of the Year trophy went to Kenneth Billings, while Merchirito Chantilope took the trophy for Cayman Brac. Finally, and most fittingly the largest, most spectacular trophy of all, went to William Ebanks, for being the Most Outstanding Farmer of the Year. The organizers of the Agricultural Show have also announced the raffle winners.

Greenhouses may skip St. Lucie

2006-04-01T16:25:00.000Z

When Doug Morgan died of a heart attack at an Atlanta airport in December, it rattled his start-up hydroponics company, Pure Produce Greenhouses Inc.

Yet his death was not what prompted the Pompano Beach firm to reconsider its year-old plans to build greenhouses on 20 acres at St. Lucie County's fledgling research park west of Fort Pierce.

The real reason: hurricane season.

Bedeviled by thoughts of a Category 5 hurricane's flooding Florida's east coast, the firm's surviving founder, Ron Tuttle, is scouting better-protected regions across the country as sites for the vegetable greenhouses and research labs.

As an alternative to the St. Lucie County Research and Education Park, spots he is eyeing include an area north of Panama City at an elevation of about 300 feet.

"We've already gone up and visited the place once or twice," Tuttle said, declining to name a specific location in Florida's Panhandle.

Though Pure Produce intends to build wind-resistant greenhouses, Tuttle said he worries about the flood damage a major storm could cause, even miles inland.

"We've tried to make it as hurricane-proof as possible with designs. But good heavens, if we get hammered with a Category 5, there are going to be some consequences," he said.

Larry Daum, St. Lucie County's economic development manager, said he talked with Tuttle on Monday and told him that natural disasters pose a threat anywhere in the country.

"It's there, and it could happen. Just as if you go to the West Coast, there's this thing called earthquakes," Daum said. "I think you just try and prepare for it the best you can."

Pure Produce is a good fit for the park, which is home to a U.S. Department of Agriculture horticultural research laboratory, Daum said.

The county has been working for more than a year to lure private businesses to the 1,800-acre park, and Pure Produce emerged as one of two early prospects.

A hydroponics firm there could help accelerate government-led research at the park, said Anita Neal, director of the St. Lucie County Cooperative Extension.

Tuttle and Morgan announced early last year that they planned to build a $17.5 million cluster of hurricane-resistant, climate-controlled vegetable greenhouses at the park off Kings Highway.

Morgan also had talked with local officials about building greenhouses on another 600 acres at the Cloud Grove development in northern St. Lucie County, Daum said. Those plans are on hold, too.

Tuttle wants to see how threatening the 2006 hurricane season looks before making a final decision.

"We want to be there," he said of St. Lucie County, "but we just simply have to wait and see what is going to transpire this summer."

By EVE SAMPLES

Hydroponics Courthouse

2006-04-01T16:23:00.000Z

Lower Providence resident Patrick Otterson Thursday was convicted of growing pot inside two Norristown residences. "Because of the excellent work by county detectives and members of the drug task force, we now will be able to take a large-scale marijuana grower off the streets of Montgomery County," said county Assistant District Attorney Robert J. Sander, who heads the narcotics prosecution team. Sander said he will seek mandatory minimum sentences totaling 13 years in prison and fines of up to $115,000 against Otterson at the time of his sentencing. Judge Richard J. Hodgson postponed sentencing Otterson, 36, of the 2800 block of Village Green Lane, until the county adult probation office can provide him with a report concerning Otterson's background. Until his sentencing, Otterson remains free on $250,000 cash bail. Hodgson, presiding in a brief non-jury trial, found Otterson guilty of growing marijuana in the two residences, harvesting his pot crops for about a year and a half, illegally possessing a handgun and rifle and fleeing from police. The bench trial, which lasted slightly longer than one hour, involved defense attorney Thomas C. Egan focusing on the number of marijuana plants found in the residences and the guns. The judge acquitted Otterson on one gun possession charge because the rusty shotgun was not in working condition at the time it was found and confiscated. Egan said the defense hopes to get his client's conviction overturned on appeal to a higher court. That appeal will challenge the legality of the search warrants used to obtain evidence against his client, according to Egan. Otterson came to authorities' attention in 2004 when they responded to tips concerning possible illegal narcotics activities in an unoccupied home in the 400 block of West Warren Street in Norristown. Executing a search warrant for the property on Oct. 27, 2004, authorities said that the property was not livable but was allegedly being used by Otterson solely as a hydroponics marijuana farm. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil. Among items police reported to have recovered from the Warren Street residence include: fertilizer, trash bags of rooted soil with marijuana bulbs, hydroponic lamps, buckets of water, a trash bag of marijuana leaves, calendars of projected marijuana harvest dates and 64 live marijuana plants. A similar large marijuana growing operation also was discovered two days later in a residence to which Otterson had access in the 1200 block of Stergiere Street, Norristown, according to the criminal complaint In addition to 121 marijuana plants and pot-growing equipment, authorities recovered a rifle, a shotgun and a handgun at this property, the complaint said. The defense has maintained that the search warrant that authorities obtained for the West Warren Street residence was illegal and, therefore, any items recovered at that residence plus any subsequent action taken by authorities following the recovery of those items also was illegal. Judge William T. Nicholas last December ruled that the West Warren Street search warrant was valid. It was secured based on information authorities received from three anonymous informants, four different confidential informants and police officers' ongoing observations of the property from Aug. 31, 2004, through Oct. 27, 2004. Otterson's girlfriend and his brother have received one-year probationary sentences after pleading guilty to hindering apprehension charges for their attempts to help Otterson elude police in the days after authorities issued a warrant for his arrest. Otterson was captured about one month later. The brother's girlfriend last November was found not guilty on a similar hindering apprehension charge.

Uganda: Ugandan Flowers Attract US Buyers

2006-03-25T15:33:00.000Z

24-03-2006 Nearly two months after the first consignment of Ugandan flowers hit the US market, Ugandan producers are set to reap more in US exports, thanks to the just concluded World Floral Expo 2006, held in , from March 15 to 17. At the expo, that attracted over 30 US buyers and 142 companies that included growers and exporters, importers, distributors, breeders, transporters and packagers from around 20 countries including Uganda, American flower buyers indicated interest in Ugandan roses particularly because of their colour and bloom. Nearly two months after the first consignment of Ugandan flowers hit the US market, Ugandan producers are set to reap more in US exports, thanks to the just concluded World Floral Expo 2006, held in , from March 15 to 17. At the expo, that attracted over 30 US buyers and 142 companies that included growers and exporters, importers, distributors, breeders, transporters and packagers from around 20 countries including Uganda, American flower buyers indicated interest in Ugandan roses particularly because of their colour and bloom. "I think we can sell roses here. There is enormous potential, not only in Miami, but also in New York. I have already about 32 buyers that I can sell to at the moment and the number may go up," said Mr Keith Henderson, the Executive Director Uganda Flower Growers Association (UFEA). He also allayed fears by the importers that long distances between the US and Uganda would reduce the shelf life of the flowers. He also called on Ugandan producers to start preparing their farms to enter the US market,"he said. Ugandan companies that exhibited at the show include Rosebud Ltd owned by property mogul Mr Sudhir Ruparhelia and Pearl Flowers owned by another investor Mr Ragbhir SandhuBelflowers, J.H Floricultural growers, Jambo Roses, Melissa Flowers, Oasis Nurseries, Royal Van Zanten and Victoria Flowers. Uganda is already exporting roses to the US under the duty and quota free African Growth and Opportunity Act Initiative. Rosebud on January 31 sent the first consignment of over 500,000 hydroponics to the US through the Miami-based Orange Flower Connect Company. Rosebud produces Red Calypso flowers, Samoa, Trivoli, Chelsea, Revue and Marie Claire, while Pearl produces Safari, Frisco, Dream, Chelsea and Black Beauty. Ugandan producers could have made a breakthrough to the US markets but they still have to grapple with lack of government incentives, inconsistent production trends, scarce storage facilities and high freight charges that make Ugandan flowers less competitive. At the moment, exporters pay $2.09 per kg on a normal cargo flight, US 11 cents lower than the $2.20 per kg price tag on a passenger plane. Statistics indicate that in 2003, 5,000 metric tonnes were exported, amounting to $26m. In 2004, the figure rose to 6,300 metric tones worth $32m. It is anticipated that exports this year will be in excess of 7,200 metric tones, which will represent over $36 million. BRON

New drug crime blitz yields early results

2006-03-25T15:31:00.000Z

A MAJOR police crackdown on drugs has yielded impressive results - with over 30 arrests, the closure of a crack house and the seizure of substantial amounts of drugs along with associated paraphernalia.

The initiative - code-named Operation Falcon - was launched on March 3. It aims to smash the drugs trade across East Berkshire.

Within hours of the operation beginning, a crack house in Mansfield Close, Slough, was shut down after a successful court hearing.

Police also arrested and subsequently charged three men on suspicion of being in possession of drugs after their car was stopped by officers in Carrington Road.

A drugs warrant was executed in Howard Avenue, Slough, which resulted in the arrest of two women and a man on suspicion of intent to supply class A drugs.

The man and one of the women were later released on police bail pending further inquiries while the second woman was charged with assault on police.

During the search of the premises, £250 worth of what is believed to be amphetamines was found, along with 75 ecstasy pills.

On Monday, March 13, a 19-year-old man and a 26-year-old man were given street cautions for possession of cannabis after they were arrested in Slough.

The following day, officers swooped on Upton Park where they arrested three people following concerns from locals about possible illegal drug activity in the vicinity.

One of the three, a man in his 30s, was arrested after officers found him in possession of what is believed to be 12 wraps of crack. He was subsequently charged.

A second man, in his 20s, was also charged. He was arrested after being found in possession of what is believed to be a wrap of heroin.

Subsequent police action has included:

* Five people arrested for drug related offences on Wednesday March 15.

* The discovery of cannabis and scales after the execution of a drugs warrant in Hunters Way, Cippenham.

* On March 16 three arrests made and a house raided in Harvey Road, Langley, where officers seized a small amount of cannabis and hydroponics equipment.

* Drug Enforcement Team officers raiding a house in Belgrave Road, Slough, where around 30g of what is believed to be crack with an estimated street value of £3,500 was discovered, together with cash and half a kilo of cannabis.

* A man being arrested and charged following the execution of a warrant at an address in Wessex Way, Maidenhead, where a quantity of cannabis was found.

Superintendent Mike Ismay, silver commander for Operation Falcon, said: "I am delighted with these solid results, which have been achieved right from the start of this long-term campaign.

"Although it may appear that most of the activity so far has centred around Slough, there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes throughout Berkshire East and I am confident that we will shortly be seeing more visible activity in the Royal Borough and Bracknell Forest."

Anyone with information about drugs or related crime is asked to contact the 24-hour Police Enquiry Centre on 0845 8 505 505.

If you don't want to give your name or talk to police call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Fayetteville man arrested

2006-03-23T19:34:00.000Z

Charged with cultivating marijuana FAYETTEVILLE – A Fayetteville man accused of cultivating 41 marijuana plants in his home faces felony charges. On March 17, Brown County Sheriff deputies obtained a warrant from Brown County Municipal Judge Joe Worley to search the home of Donald Lloyd Wolf, 37, on state Route 50, in Fayetteville. During the search, deputies located 41 marijuana plants and the equipment to run an extensive hydroponics marijuana growing operation. “It was a very thought-out operation,” said Brown County Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger. Wenninger said if this individual was able to put so much time and effort into illegal activity, imagine what he could have accomplished if he put as much effort into something positive for the Brown County community. Wolf’s arrest was the result of an ongoing investigation conducted by the sheriff’s department. Felony charges for cultivation of marijuana are pending against Wolf. Brown County Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger encouraged anyone with information concerning illegal drug activity to contact the sheriff’s department. Informants can remain anonymous by calling the Sheriff’s Office Drug Information Hotline at (937) 378-4435 ext. 275. By WADE LINVILLE

Marijuana promoter a target

2006-03-23T19:29:00.000Z

Canadians find 'Prince of Pot' harmless; DEA begs to differ Sweet marijuana smoke tumbles down the steps from "the Vapor Lounge," a corner of Marc Emery's Vancouver, Canada, bookstore where customers toke up at will.

"We get high with everybody," Emery says, shrugging. "This is a pilgrimage spot, and people come here from all over the world. We get high."

Illegal? Yes.

So were the seeds he used to keep in a case in the store, with exotic names like Afghan Dream and Chemo Grizzly. So was the booming business he ran, complete with glossy seed catalogues describing the varieties' subtle and sublime nuances. ("Nebula: Fruity flavor and scent. Transcendental buzz. Harvest outdoor.") So, for that matter, are the other marijuana businesses that have sprouted up in the block around his bookstore. The street is nicknamed "Vansterdam,"with pot-hazy cafes, head shops filled with pipes and bongs, and neon signs advertising illegal seed sales.

Until recently, nobody much cared, it seemed. The police hadn't bothered to come around for eight years. Before that, they busted Emery for seed sales and raided him four times. But he just got fined, and the police stopped trying. By DOUG STRUCK The Washington Post

DRUGS 'FACTORY' FOUND

2006-03-23T19:08:00.000Z

AN elaborate cannabis 'factory' that may have links to a much larger drug production operation along the coast, has been uncovered in Newhaven.

Housed within a residential property in Meeching Road was a hydroponics growing facility so sophisticated a police source described it as, 'one of the most impressive growing operations we have ever seen'. Police found more than 350 large plants growing in the house with a street value of several thousand pounds. Detective Constable Mike Baldwin, of Newhaven CID, said: 'The cannabis factory found at the property is an elaborate set up and extremely well designed. 'This find is considered to be significant step forward in reducing drug supply and although cannabis was reclassified to a class C drug, producing and supplying cannabis remains a serious offence and can mean up to 14 years imprisonment and a fine.'

Drugs raid in Newhaven

Home & Garden Briefs: 'Barrel aquaponics' workshop teaches growing technique

2006-03-23T19:04:00.000Z

BRYSON CITY - Aquaculture and hydroponics come together in a workshop titled "Barrel Aquaponics - Construction and Operation" Monday and Tuesday at Camp Living Water, 1510 West Deep Creek Road.

Instruction will focus on aquaponics, which is the combining of aquaculture and hydroponics for mutual benefit. Each attendee will be given an opportunity to construct a highly productive, small-scale system from barrels, capable of producing fish and a large variety of vegetables, greens & herbs.

As a follow-up to the workshop, an Aquaponics Conference will be held Wednesday-March 31 at the same location.

Various specialists will discussthe latest techniques of constructing and managing theseunique systems. Field trips will be taken to the Swain High School Barrel Aquaponics System and Shelton Valley Farmshydroponic lettuce greenhouse complex near Whittier.

WNC residents can register for the workshop at the rate of $30, $60 for the conference or $75 for both.

Household donations sought

ASHEVILLE - Hospice Treasures, retail resale store, in Biltmore Square Mall near the new of Belk, is looking for donated items to sell in the store. Proceeds from the store benefit CarePartners Mountain Area Hospice, which provides care for patients with terminal illnesses and bereavement services for their families.

The store will accept any household goods in saleable condition except for computer equipment, major appliances, microwaves, older console televisions and waterbeds.

To arrange for pick up of large donations, call the store at 670-5638. Hospice Treasures is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Volunteers are also welcome.

Tulip 'extravaganza'

HENDERSONVILLE - Eight to ten thousand tulips are about to burst into bloom in downtown Hendersonville, according to master gardener Scott Johnson. "The bulbs we planted in the fall should be in full bloom the first and second week of April," said Johnson.

Blooms should appear between March 25-April 16. Area merchants are holding special events to coincide with the blooms, particularly on April 7-8.

HGTV crew calls for entries

HGTV (Home and Garden Television) and Weller/Grossman Productions are looking for unique, cool and creative projects designed and done by real people without the help of contractors or experts. They're searching for individuals across the country that would like to share their fun stories and incredible results.

So, if you've transformed your garage into a wine room or bowling alley, built Fido his own futuristic pad or an incomparable fantasy playroom for the kids, here's how to enter: To apply, e-mail a description of the project (with pictures before and after) of the area you've improved, and your contact info to P. Kalayeh at lwid@wellergrossman.com

Wrestling champ pleads guilty to drug charges

2006-03-23T19:02:00.000Z

An Australian wrestling champion will be sentenced in the ACT Supreme Court next month over charges relating to the seizure of cannabis at five Canberra properties.

Fatos Rama pleaded guilty to possessing and cultivating cannabis, which prosecutors said would be worth around $1 million if it had been fully processed and sold.

The 26-year-old from Miranda in Sydney used a false name to rent five houses in Canberra between 2002 and 2004.

Police said he caused extensive damage to the properties so he could set up sophisticated hydroponics equipment to grow the plants.

Rama, the current national champion in the 84 kilogram wrestling division, was remanded in custody.

He will be sentenced next month.

Remote Instant Replay

2006-01-17T17:56:00.000Z

Remote instant replay can provide you with Quick affordable copies of data by creating several, small packaged, copies of online data at a set amount of locations.

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Benefits

Remote Instant Replay brings remote replication to companies that previously considered off-site replication too complex and expensive
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THE END

2005-12-13T04:03:00.000Z

I've always dreamed of being a heartless capitalist, and I finally got my chance. This fall, a third party offered to purchase InstantReplay (which, mind you, is nothing more than a 1-page subdomain of blogger.com, plus archives and photo hosting) for an undisclosed price. We negotiated, and the transaction was completed this evening. I hope all you readers feel betrayed and insignificant in the face of the cold, hard power of the dollar. Just kidding: please join me at my new digs at http://globalreview.blogspot.com. Change your links and bookmarks accordingly. Of course, don't stop reading InstantReplay either; I assume that new management has big plans for the property!

2005-12-11T02:14:00.000Z

Two Sector Endogenous Human Capital Growth Model With Expanding Varieties and Progressive Taxation of Stochastically Productive Non-Depreciating Capital Stock

I haven't solved that model yet today, but there's still time. I have solved models with government expenditure, stochastic capital growth, and I've been stumped by models with heterogenous agents and varying capital utilization.

If you can understand what I'm talking about, stop reading and get back to studying for our Macro exam! If you can't, let me paraphrase: when studying is your life, some days roll, but most days slog. This one was a slog. I've been at the books since 10:45 am (late start!) with a two-hour break in the middle (1 part lunch, 3 parts despair). I'll go home for a shower and supper, and then take a break from studying Macro (exam on Monday) to get a head start on Micro (Thursday). Hope y'all are having a better week than I am (and a shout-out to my peeps Ali Baba and Zak, who are having the same kind of week as I).

2005-12-10T14:37:00.000Z

Clinton Kisses Up

Bill Clinton didn't do much to stop global warming when he was the world's most powerful man. But now that he wants a job as the world's most prominent bureaucrat, he's kissing up to the UN dandies whom he needs to impress, and distancing himself from American policy. I doubt Clinton will become chief of the UN - that job has been traditionally reserved for career bureaucrats from small, neutral nations, not powerful politicians who have reached the pinacle of power in a P-5 country. To illustrate my point: do you think the U.S. would approve of Vladimir Putin or Jacque Chirac heading the UN ten years down the road? I thought not.

2005-12-07T21:47:00.000Z

Introducing: As Long As It Takes

Again, no time to do justice, so I'll let Miriam speak for herself over at As Long As It Takes. Miriam's a good friend, despite her Canaditude, now living in Rwanda (where we both went on a trip in 2003) doing really cool stuff which I've been a lousy friend and not kept up with.

2005-12-06T22:47:00.000Z

Stop Genocide, Not Blogging

I have been a bad blogger of late, as Casey is quick to point out. And another classmate here in Rochester wants to get word out about his friend's blogging tour of Darfur. I haven't watched the day-by-day videos, but I do wish I could spend a few weeks in Sudan! Back to studying...

2005-11-21T14:53:00.000Z

The Party Is Over

The biggest political news out of Israel in a few years: Ariel Sharon is quitting the party he helped establish. Israeli politics is pretty fractious, and Sharon created the Likud Party back in the 1970's by splitting from Labor, but this marks the first time a party is being established for the purpose of dealing with the Palestinian question. Sharon's new look, "National Responsibility", will try to be centrist on internal questions (government spending, religious affairs), and push forward Sharon's vision of a final settlement between Israel and Palestine. Of course, Sharon is not quite an objective observer, and as an old-fashioned Realpolitiker, he's not ashamed to use Israel's overwhelming military and economic power to achieve a highly advantageous settlement. Whether he can do so in a way that leaves Palestinians with enough that they will be able to build some kind of state remains to be seen.

2005-11-11T17:55:00.000Z

NY Times Editorials: Follow the Men in Blue

Since NYTimes.com began forcing readers to pay to read their opinions (a penny for our thoughts, please?), readership has gone way, way down. And so, apparently, has quality. Today's editorials, judging from their titles, are coordinated, and not, by my analysis, on the highest of topics. I quote: EDITORIALS OP/ED: Krugman: Deadly Donut Friedman: Forgotten Center That's right folks: don't overlook the downtrodden donut holes.

2005-11-10T01:57:00.000Z

Al-Qaeda Hates Arabs

Al-Qaeda lieutenant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has struck again at the country that once imprisoned him, according to Jordanian and American officials. The bombings at tourist hotels in Amman today killed mainly Arabs - once again, al-Qaeda has it in for those whom they claim to protect. Apologists for al-Qaeda would argue that by hitting American-owned hotels frequented by businessmen and tourists (who are still mostly Arabs) is as close as they can get to hitting America and Israel, their alleged enemies. That might be believable from a local gang of hooligans, but is al-Qaeda really so afraid of "Crusader" security forces that they can't operate in the West? Jordan, after all, has a very good track record of stopping terrorists; this isn't like blowing up yet another street in Baghdad. So the terrorists, al-Qaeda or otherwise, really want to attack Jordan. Why? Because Jordan is a Western ally. Because Jordan is at peace with all its neighbors (most of whom al-Qaeda is at war with). Because Jordan is showing that a non-oil economy can flourish by allowing for free trade with the West. Because Jordan allows women and Palestinian refugees to participate in public life. If al-Qaeda were really interested in using violence to forward the Palestinian cause or to annihilate the West, they would attack Israeli and Western military and civilian targets. Instead, they never touch Israel, and they're already sorry they touched America, and they're now fighting a war of attrition, hoping that we will give up and let them press their unsavory goals forward with yet more violence against fellow Arabs. It's no secret among those who study such things that the real goal of al-Qaeda is to displace the Saudi and other Arab governments - neither Arabs nor Westerners should believe the propaganda that they disseminate to disguise that goal.

2005-11-03T16:13:00.000Z

Halloween Photos

I won't actually post these here, because they are easily accessible on Karen's page, but check out photos from our department Halloween party, hosted by Professor Steven Landsburg. Some highlights: Jose and Jessica won the most creative costume award - if you can't guess their costumes, here's a hint: we made them twist to "You Never Can Tell" when they received the award. My friend Steve has no dignity. The dark teeth aren't part of James' costume... he just really likes red wine. And if you can figure out my costume, then you're a real econ-nerd (only two people did). But it paid off... my math prof said that dressing up as the Envelope Theorem was worth a point or two on the midterm.

2005-10-31T17:49:00.000Z

They Have Normal Families In Rochester

And particularly cool families... here are some pictures from visiting my friend Duane's family yesterday. We all played Bop It around the dinner table (after Catchphrase and Blurt). Our fellow guests were Andrew and his daughters Marleana and Avalina. And they've got a trippin' basement, complete with drum kit and stage. Yi and Annie took about 15 pictures with the dog, Emma, before finally getting some they were satisfied with. Yi says that I look Chinese wearing this tai-tai-tsi (?) or "watermelon hat". I dunno about that. My friends are normal... I swear!

2005-10-26T15:35:00.000Z

After the Macro Exam

I think I failed.

2005-10-23T09:35:00.000Z

Introducing: Zak

Check out my classmate Casey Zak's Mighty Blog - it's mighty entertaining anyway. Or at least close to home: his latest post is about Problem Set #5 in "Math for Economists", and last week I had a post of my own, the highlights of which were me being called "Lesbianese" and Casey's mom asking who I am. Casey will grace the blogroll as long as he continues to write such mighty text. Oh, and Thaddeus at Worthless and Weak is back from his long summer holiday of stealing government secrets, so y'all can start reading his wittitude again.

2005-10-21T19:33:00.000Z

All The Views That Are Fit to Print

NYTimes should be ashamed that it stooped to the level of publishing this. Not only is it a childish, titillating story (about a proposed street name change from "Hooker Lane" to something else), but the level of bias and generalization is disgusting. Do the Times editors think that only "people of the L. L. Bean-wearing, exercise-the-dog sort" want to live on a street with a normal name? If this was in a working-class neighborhood, would it make any difference? I don't think so, but the Times goes out of its way to paint the neighborhood with a broad brush, as if only those for whom "Lacoste shirts and country club memberships are a virtual birthright" would make effort to rename their street. What malarky. In Quincy, Mass, there's a street called Lunt St. After repeated vandalism (changing 'L' to 'C'), the city issued a special street sign with a cursive "L". Lunt St. is just as working-middle-class as any street in Quincy. This may seem a small thing to complain about, but just imagine if the Times described a working-class neighborhood as a place where second-hand polo shirts and bowling-league membership were a "virtual birthright". It may be true, but unless it is backed up by real investigative reporting and has bearing on the story, it's just a way to impress a stereotype on readers. Just another reason why the Times is the world's worst good paper.

2005-10-18T15:44:00.000Z

Aborting Whom?

WaPo has a fantastic column this morning by a mother and former Post bureau chief, Patricia Bauer. Bauer has a disabled daughter, and writes about their experience living in a land where abortion is considered a better option than birth.

To [most women of child-bearing age], Margaret falls into the category of avoidable human suffering. At best, a tragic mistake. At worst, a living embodiment of the pro-life movement. Less than human. A drain on society. That someone I love is regarded this way is unspeakably painful to me. This view is probably particularly pronounced here in blue-state California, but I keep finding it everywhere, from academia on down. At a dinner party not long ago, I was seated next to the director of an Ivy League ethics program. In answer to another guest's question, he said he believes that prospective parents have a moral obligation to undergo prenatal testing and to terminate their pregnancy to avoid bringing forth a child with a disability, because it was immoral to subject a child to the kind of suffering he or she would have to endure... Margaret does not view her life as unremitting human suffering (although she is angry that I haven't bought her an iPod). She's consumed with more important things, like the performance of the Boston Red Sox in the playoffs* and the dance she's going to this weekend. Oh sure, she wishes she could learn faster and had better math skills. So do I. But it doesn't ruin our day, much less our lives. It's the negative social attitudes that cause us to suffer... In ancient Greece, babies with disabilities were left out in the elements to die. We in America rely on prenatal genetic testing to make our selections in private, but the effect on society is the same. Margaret's old pediatrician tells me that years ago he used to have a steady stream of patients with Down syndrome. Not anymore. Where did they go, I wonder. On the west side of L.A., they aren't being born anymore, he says... And here's one more piece of un-discussable baggage: This question is a small but nonetheless significant part of what's driving the abortion discussion in this country. I have to think that there are many pro-choicers who, while paying obeisance to the rights of people with disabilities, want at the same time to preserve their right to ensure that no one with disabilities will be born into their own families. The abortion debate is not just about a woman's right to choose whether to have a baby; it's also about a woman's right to choose which baby she wants to have.

Sorry for the length of the quote - she says it better than I can. In an objective world, it would be considered obvious that when one group of people (or potential people, if you will) is systematically killed, that group is considered to have little or no value to society. While "backwards reasoning" is a logical fallacy, we as a society need to be honest about the tacit implications of our norms. * This raises the question of whether it was moral before October, 2004, to bring Red Sox fans into the world. But with the hindsight of today, I'm glad I was born a Sox fan.

2005-10-17T14:39:00.000Z

Page A1

The front page of today's Post reports:

Beginning this week, the House GOP lawmakers will take steps to cut as much as $50 billion from the fiscal 2006 budget for health care for the poor, food stamps and farm supports, as well as considering across-the-board cuts in other programs. Only last month, then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (Tex.) and other GOP leaders quashed demands within their party for budget cuts to pay for the soaring cost of hurricane relief... A revolt has been stirring within the House GOP ranks for months. Fiscal conservatives had accepted an expanded federal role in education enshrined in President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, had lost a fight to block the Medicare prescription drug benefit -- the largest entitlement expansion since Lyndon Johnson was president -- and had even embraced the mammoth transportation law that passed this summer with a record-shattering number of pork-barrel projects... Since Bush came to office, federal spending had grown by a third, from $1.86 trillion to $2.47 trillion, while record budget surpluses turned to record deficits. Conservative activists, led by talk show hosts and opinion columnists, had begun pressing Republicans hard on what they saw as Big Government Conservatism... After several meetings, Hastert emerged from a closed Republican session the night of Oct. 6 to announce that he had gotten the message. Cuts to entitlement programs such as Medicaid, food stamps and farm supports would be raised from $35 billion to $50 billion in the massive budget bill that will be compiled in November. Republicans would push an additional across-the-board spending cut for 2006 and would try to trim programs already funded.

Keep 'em coming - this is music to my ears. More analytically, this is probably the best time to execute painful budget cuts. When polls are already down, the cost of a political loss becomes significantly less. When you're on top, the potential of an unpopular spending cut can bring a party's momentum to a screeching halt. Now, the GOP has no momentum - but has all the voting power. So bring on the cuts!

2005-10-15T23:39:00.000Z

Nazis 1, Toledo 0

The National Socialist Movement planned a march today in Toledo allegedly to protest harassment of white citizens by black gangs. The march did not occur, but the Nazis made their point loud and clear. In a fit of utter stupidity, the very gangs whom the Nazis were using as an excuse to rile the public square took the opportunity to riot in downtown Toledo, breaking into stores and looting as the Nazis stood by and watched their victory from the safety of police protection in a city park. Today's Toledo Blade foresaw the problem:

Young black people, let me be blunt: The march by hate groups in North Toledo today is aimed at you. Don't give them the time of day. Please. If the hate groups can upset you enough to cause you to react and get arrested, or cause you to show an outburst of violence, then they will have accomplished their goal. Don't give them that satisfaction, no matter how upset they might make you, and believe me, their words can make a minority pretty upset. You are not what they say you are, so stay home, do something else, or go to some worthwhile community function instead.

The AP Story is colorblind to the point of silliness, refusing to give the obviously vital information of what the racial makeup of the various actors - the rioters, the store owners, the police, the mayor (who is in fact black). While I hope to live in a race-oblivious America someday, this kind of reporting just lets people draw their own conclusions. This entire episode underscores how little white America can do to address the internal problems of black society. Now, whites will once again repudiate white supremacy and we should shun and shame those who have such viewpoints. But ultimately, there's no whites at fault here. The Nazis have assumptions about blacks - and in this case, some black youths went out of their way to prove the Nazis right. This is truly a tragedy for truth, justice, and the American way.

2005-10-15T21:02:00.000Z

Need A USB Drive?

Then enter the Worthless and Weak Essay Contest. He's promising a USB drive filled with secret government documents. The topic of the essay must be: "What I Would Do With A USB Drive Filled With Government Secrets." And he's not kidding. Disclaimer: I won the Garret Logan Person of the Year Award for 2003, and he actually followed through on half the prize (taking me out for lunch). The other half (an honorary doctorate from the Logan Institute of Elevator Logic) I'm still waiting on.

2005-10-15T20:30:00.000Z

2005 Baseball Review

Per tradition, InstantReplay will revisit our preseason baseball predictions, posted March 29th. On the standings: AL West - 2 for 4, including division leader AL Central - 2 for 5 AL East - 0 for 5, but we correctly predicted the two playoff teams NL West - 3 for 5 NL Central - 1 for 6, only St. Louis NL East - 3 for 5, including division leader And none of my four predicted teams has made it to the championship series. On the eight Red Sox stats predictions, Parker, Thaddeus and I each posted predictions. Here's the score: 1. Number of games started by Jason Varitek: 131; tie between Parker and I. 2. Total home runs by "Manny Ortez": 92; Parker was closest with just 81. 3. Staff complete games: 6; Parker nailed it. 4. Bellhorn's walk-to-strikeout ratio: 1 to 2.22; Thaddeus with 1 to 2. 5. Record in one-run games: 26-14; Thaddeus with 24-14. 6. Date that Kevin Youkilis is traded: None; Thaddeus got it most right. 7. Damon's pitches per plate appearance: 3.72; Parker gets it with 3.8. 8. Number of players on post-season roster who are not on Opening Day roster or DL: 5; tie between Parker and I. So Parker wins it - congrats! And for the Red Sox... how about next year? (Is that a good substitute for the old, discarded "wait till next year"?)

2005-10-11T23:32:00.000Z

Testing...1...2...3...4

Tomorrow is the first of our midterms, which will follow each other weekly until after Halloween. Microeconomics, courtesy of the inimitable (and quite well-known) Larry, is on tap for tomorrow, and I've already put in more hours of study than I put in during any one semester at Northeastern, and possibly more than I did during my entire tenure there. (Pure studying, that is, not homework or reading). The test covers just five weeks of material, and consists of three multi-part questions, on abstract choice theory, consumer theory, and choice under risk, respectively. If you think the one-liner "There exists no separating hyperplane between us and the set of God's love" is hysterical, then your mind is working the same way mine is. I've already put in six and a half hours of studying since class today, and I hope to add three more before I quit, though that would still sum to an hour and a half less than my daily study-maximizing argument. Then it's a good connected night's sleep (if my body can remember how to have one of those) and two classes before the Big Date with Larry at 1:00. I think today has to qualify as my lowest-net-utility birthday ever: not only am I spending the day studying unboundedly, but I'm also losing my driver's license to expiration. I could get a new one here in Rochester, but I'd feel like a traitor having a New York I.D. Of course, it's not like I have anything to drive, but I'm losing a degree of freedom nonetheless.

2005-10-01T17:38:00.000Z

Three Brazilian Soldiers

Donald Rumsfeld is giving the president his daily briefing. He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, three Brazilian soldiers were killed." OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!" Tears appear in his eyes. His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands. Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?" Hat tip to Deron.

2005-09-20T00:03:00.000Z

"The Foreign Groom"

A hit television show is scoring big ratings on both sides of the Aegean. That's right; Turks and Greeks are watching the same show. The storyline features a Turkish girl who falls in love with a foreigner, only to find out later that he is Greek. The show originated in Turkey, but is now being well-received in Greece as well. As my classmate Fatih (see below) says, Greece and Turkey are just a couple who had a bad divorce. And they're quarreling over custody of their child, Cyprus. New TV show ideas: a Palestinian and an Israeli pair up on "The Amazing Race"? A reality show in Northern Ireland: "Who Wants To Marry a Protestant Millionaire?" Or how about "Wife Swap" with a North and a South Korean couple? Or a show where a French politician, a Polish plumber, and an American journalist all switch jobs?

2005-09-14T19:49:00.000Z

You Might Not Be Cut Out For Mayor of NYC If...

...your name is "Weiner". I would have considered that self-evident, but apparently, Anthony D. Weiner had to drag his unfortunate last name through the public eye before arriving at the same conclusion. And yes, I know it's not "wiener", but does that really matter? Not only is he named after a hot dog (or something worse), but he can't spell.

2005-09-08T23:25:00.000Z

Day Tripper

So for all of you who have been dying to know about my life in Rochester, here are some photos (and captions) from last Monday's trip to Niagara Falls. We couldn't go into Canada, because with three foreigners and one A-Rab American, the chances of us getting back into America quickly were about as good as Governor Granholm's chances of being elected president (of the U.S., that is). You know when you can take a picture this close to a waterfall that you're going to be the first one to die in the event of an earthquake. The fearsome foursome look down into the potentially deadly waters of the upper Niagara River. Next time we visit, we'll release a canoe carrying a few panicked-looking dummies a hundred yards upstream from here, and watch the reaction when they reach the Falls. Chen Yi is a classmate and friend. She took most of the photos here, but not this one. You can see how weak the railing is - it's bending under her weight! The inseparable threesome: Fatih Bey, scion of the Ottoman Empire, yours truly, and Anita "The Peoples' Choice" Peoples. Like the rest of us, Anita is a first year student, but unlike the rest of us she's in biophysics and gets a stipend twice the size of any of our class. We economists have to live economically. We arrived in Youngstown, at the mouth of the Niagara, just as their Labor Day parade was breaking up. We stopped at the Fife and Drum Pub long enough to get water and see the price of hamburgers. After fleeing the hamburgers, we settled for ice cream and enjoyed the marine scenery at Youngstown dock. They have a U.S. Customs Videophone, so if you arrive with a cargo of contraband maple sugar, please have the politeness to call and report yourself so they can drive down and stop you. We then drove back to Roch Vegas along scenic Rt. 18, on which we stopped for a proper meal (our first of the day) around 3:00pm. We had excellent buffalo wings and good sandwiches at the beach town of Olcott. Mine was the local specialty: Beef on Weck, a simple roast beef sandwich on a heavily salted bulky roll. Not shabby, especially after a long day outside. All in all, an excellent trip.

2005-09-08T16:16:00.000Z

My Phone Lives!

Thanks to Rasmus Peters for a free Nokia phone unlocking site that allowed me to access the E-Bay phone I finally received yesterday. Call me!

2005-09-07T17:10:00.000Z

Compassionate Conservatism Lives!

The Feds read my Watchblog post last night and acted on it! AP reports:

The federal government plans to begin doling out debit cards worth $2,000 each to adult victims of Hurricane Katrina, The Associated Press has learned. Homeland Security Department Secretary Michael Chertoff descibed the plan in a conference call with state officials Wednesday morning. The unprecedented cash card program initially will benefit stranded people who have been moved to major rescue centers such as the Houston Astrodome... The cards could be used to buy food, transportation, gas and other essentials the displaced people need, according to a state official who was on the call and requested anonymity because the program has not been publicly announced.

I feel so much better. Hat tip to Drudge.

2005-09-06T22:48:00.000Z

Byzantine Watch

John Tierney, who is fast becoming my new favorite writer (as Tom Friedman is on leave after continuing to struggle in the clutch when dealing with Iraq), successfully uses the word byzantine in an excellent and even-handed editorial today. He contrasts two styles of disaster preparedness:

Instead of relying on a "Good Samaritan" policy - the fantasy in New Orleans that everyone would take care of the neighbors - the Virginia rescue workers go door to door. If people resist the plea to leave, Mr. Judkins told The Daily Press in Newport News, rescue workers give them Magic Markers and ask them to write their Social Security numbers on their body parts so they can be identified... Yet Mr. Bush, with approval from conservatives who should have known better, reacted to Sept. 11 by centralizing disaster planning in Washington. He created the byzantine Homeland Security Department, with predictable results last week.

Bush could have done better with a Department of Scaring Sense Into Stupid People.

2005-09-06T22:18:00.000Z

The Judgments of the Lord Are True and Righteous Altogether

Some Christians have wondered aloud whether Katrina was God's judgment on New Orleans for its sinfulness. It was, after all, the most immoral of American cities, and a stronghold of demon worship and other rebelliousness. However, the Bible tends to suggest that under the New Covenant, judgment is reserved for the end of time, though this is not explicit. But while the hurricane's devastation may or may not be related to the Big Easy's godlessness, the social after-shocks are an undeniable consequence. Is it any surprise that the city famous for high crime and addiction rates saw social breakdown under adversity? The atomization and general unpleasantness among all involved - victims, the governor, the mayor, etc. - bears witness to a city that lacks love and class. New Orleans was, in its way, a great city, and may again be great. But, as Alexis de Tocqueville wrote, "America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

2005-09-06T22:13:00.000Z

The New South

This post was originally written for Watchblog. The Gulf Coast has been destroyed by what most people now agree is the worst natural disaster in American history. Never before has so large a region been so utterly annihilated. Estimates of the rebuilding cost have grown exponentially, from $6 or $7 billion during the first few days to $150 billion now. Right off the bat, President Bush is seeking $40 billion to begin the rebuilding effort. No doubt we will have more accurate estimates in the months to come, but it is clear that a gigantic sum of public, non-profit, and private money will be spent to help Gulf Coast residents get their lives back. But how should it be spent? With the caveat that these are preliminary thoughts in the preliminary stages of redevelopment, I offer some principles that governments and non-profits can follow to stretch their dollars farthest and create a sustainable long-term solution for the New Gulf Coast. (1) Use market mechanisms. There is nothing more ineffective than money spent by fiat. Capitalist governments can somehow lapse into communism during a disaster, suddenly believing that they know best how to spend the people's money. The principle application of this is that victims should not be forced to return to the Gulf Coast in order to receive assistance. Those who wish to move away should be able to take some of the money that would have been spent on them along to their new homes. To do otherwise will perpetuate poverty by funneling those dependent on outside money into an area they might not otherwise choose. (2) Compensate in accordance with loss. In the short run, the poor were hardest hit, and are accordingly receiving most of the short-term assistance. In the long run, however, property-owners have paid the biggest toll. A rebuilding program that focuses on rental housing and public-sector buildings will yield a region artificially dependent on outside money. (3) Repeat after me: Big business is beautiful. Big business is big jobs, big construction money, and big municipal taxes. This doesn't mean that municipalities or states should prostitute themselves by offering huge tax incentives, but rather that businesses should be given wider-than-usual latitude to pick locations, buy property, and build facilities. Every regulation reduces the efficiency of industry and its job-creating power; right now, the Gulf Coast needs industry to be as efficient as it possibly can be. Secondly, governments should teach their money to follow the private money. As George Friedman writes for STRATFOR, the geographic importance of New Orleans dictates that a port must exist there. So industry will have to return to the region, and where and how it spends its money will be a good clue to bureaucrats of how best they can spend theirs. (4) Get out as soon as possible. Outsiders, government and otherwise, should make it a point to give control of local institutions back as soon as possible. This is a basic tenet of international development, and the need for locally-led civil society is no less within our borders. (5) Expect civility; punish lawbreaking. The saddest part, to me, of this whole disaster has been the Hobbesian response by many of the victims. Unlike New Yorkers after 9/11, they have been seen as selfish and roguish, lacking in social restraints. This may be an unfair media portrayal; I have no way of knowing. But assuming it is correct, people at all levels of society should demand high standards from those they encounter. The New Gulf Coast will be built of concrete and timber, but its real foundation must be the social contract that allows people to live in community with others. (6) Allow for change. Don't assume the way things were was the best way. In a region as poor and vulnerable as the Gulf Coast, this should be self-evident, but it probably isn't. For instance, could we build parts of the new New Orleans on higher ground than the old one? The redevelopment effort shouldn't be a $150 billion CTRL+Z! Follow the examples of Chicago and San Francisco, and build something better in the place of what was destroyed. ***** In closing, let me paint a picture of what will happen if the opposite is done. New Orleans and other cities will become a parody of their former selves; a crude imitation. Without new ideas, the old problems - both geographical and social - will be recreated, but the soul of cities will be diminished. A boom of public housing construction will make the Big Easy the easiest place to be unemployed and unproductive, and a few years after the units are shown glistening on TV screens they will be as run down and vacant as public housing anywhere. With heavy taxes, environmental restrictions, and red tape, business will be sluggish. Operations will be moved overseas if possible, and fewer and worse jobs will exist in the old population centers. What private redevelopment there is will occur out in the exurbs, with atomized SUV suburbs taking the place of now-unattractive downtowns. Without much aid, small business, hotel and luxury apartment owners will leave their lots vacant, or sell them to Target, or skimp on the rebuilding. And the rest of the U.S. will not see any benefit from their funds; no new residents, no new ideas, no New Orleans - at least not the one we knew and loved. Is this an ugly picture? Yes, but not unrealistic. I was in decrepit Niagara Falls yesterday, and a great many other rust belt cities lie in very much the same condition. The opportunity to reverse New Orleans' three-decade decline, and to uplift many poor Gulf Coast communities, is upon us. Let's turn Katrina to good.

2005-09-04T04:39:00.000Z

Requiescat in Pacem

Justice William Rehnquist died less than two hours ago, reports Reuters. Hat tip to Drudge. The implications need not be spoken. May he rest in peace and, for the nation's sake, may we find as equanimious and just a jurist to replace him.

2005-09-01T20:45:00.000Z

Four Indictments and a Funeral

The investigation into Rafik Hariri's assassination has borne fruit: four generals have been charged, reports the BBC. This is cause for celebration, because it shows a willingness to hold the powerful to account under law, and it's not a cop-out (which it would have been if they were charging four corporals). Justice and the rule of law are the true cornerstones of democracy, and InstantReplay applauds every step in that direction.

2005-08-30T16:29:00.000Z

Heaping Burning Coals

Proverbs 25:21-22 reads:

If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.

Paul quotes the proverb in Romans 12:20. Two interpretations of these passages are often given. One is the literal English reading: being kind to one's enemies is a more poignant revenge than being vengeful. The other interpretation is that heaping burning coals on someone's head is a good thing; apparently people carried coals (in a container) on their heads from place to place so they could light a fire when they got there. This interpretation makes much better sense in the context and spirit of the passages. President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has apparently been taking the latter interpretation to heart. His well-considered response to Pat Robertson's moronic assassination innuendo is to heap heating oil on the heads of America's poor. Reuters reports:

The offer, made after populist Chavez held talks with U.S. civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson, would represent 10 percent of the 660,000 bpd of refined products processed by Citgo. The deals would cut consumer costs by direct sales... "We are going to direct as much as 10 percent of the production, that means 66,000 barrels, without intermediaries, to poor communities, hospitals, religious communities, schools," Chavez told reporters at a press conference.

All we can say is, Thanks Hugo, and keep up the good work. Hat tip to Drudge.

2005-08-30T16:25:00.000Z

The Sellout Pays Off

As you've noticed, InstantReplay sold out to the Man this spring, putting up Google Ads . IR earned its first $100 through July, and if the money keeps piling up, we'll keep the ads. You can contribute to the InstantReplay Bandwidth Fund by (a) just visiting the site often and (b) it can add up quite quickly.

2005-08-30T16:04:00.000Z

Introducing: Educating Holly

My MAL buddy Holly Jordan has a new journal, devoted (for now) to her search for a graduate school. I look forward to following this inside-look at a process that I've recently gained some personal experience in.

On an unrelated note, I now have a mailing address in Roch Vegas:

Chops
University of Rochester
CPU Box 274776
Rochester NY 14627-4776

2005-08-26T17:40:00.000Z

Heavan and Humanism

Alan Wolfe of Boston College penned a worth-reading piece for today's Wall Street Journal. Rick Warren of "The Purpose Driven Life" is leading a massive mission to Rwanda, a country near to my heart. Wolfe looks into the meaning of this gesture:

Historians are likely to pinpoint Mr. Warren's trip to Rwanda as the moment when conservative evangelical Protestantism made questions of social justice central to its concerns. Given his huge wealthy Orange County congregation, Rick Warren could have become satisfied with his national success and ignored problems abroad. Instead he has chosen to make issues of global poverty central to his ministry and for that he deserves his identification by Time magazine as one of the most important evangelicals in America... My single greatest fear is that Mr. Warren and his followers will draw huge and enthusiastic crowds to their rallies, convert numerous souls to Christ and then leave when they discover that, for all their efforts, a country like Rwanda faces political and social problems beyond the reach of even the most earnest and popular humanitarian efforts. In short, there is a limit to the good that can be done until such countries alter the basic structure of their societies, eliminating corruption, curbing the abuse of power, setting up an independent judiciary and allowing a free press.

An additional concern is that Warren's original invitation came from President Paul Kagame, who is a strongman at best and a dictator at worst. I was in Rwanda during their last elections, and the only thing "free and fair" was the range of action permitted to the police in stiffling any opposition. Does this mean Warren and others should stop? By no means. But he (and Wolfe) should remember that a saved soul is not always free from poverty or oppression, nor is an affluent and free soul always saved. Yet these facts should not dim the efforts of either evangelists or humanists, or, in Warren's case, those who strive to be both.

2005-08-24T16:39:00.000Z

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Sorry for the lack of posting - I'm turning to face the strain of Math Camp (and subsequent grad classes), and my time is running wild trying to recover from breaking my cell phone, which I now must admit dependence on. I'm also adjusting to not having an income - with grad school, I certainly ain't gonna be a richer man - and not having easy classes. If I'm gonna stick around here, I'm gonna have to be a different man, at least as far as studying goes, because I've been left up to my neck in math, which is eminently immune to my consultations. But I did find some good radio stations in Rochester yesterday, and finally got my room in order, so I can focus on work instead of chaos. Hopefully I'll have more thoughts next week, but for now all I can leave you with is that while a uniformally continuous function does not have to have a constant slope, it must have a bounded derivative. Apologies to David Bowie.

2005-08-17T19:20:00.000Z

Free-For-All 2008: Something Old, Something New

The best news article of this month’s presidential pretension is Mother Jones’ Diddly Awards. My favorite was the anecdote about Condi Rice, whose rumored presidential ambitions simply won't die:

Condoleezza Rice (Secretary of State), who experienced a moment of candor when a Russian radio interviewer asked if she would run in 2008. "Da," replied Rice, who speaks fluent Russian, before adding, "Nyet, nyet, nyet, nyet, nyet, nyet, nyet!"

That kind of denial won't get her taken off the chatter rankings any time soon. The biggest news this month is that no one has yet been kicked off: the field is getting wider still, not narrower. Also, Senators Frist and Clinton have remained atop their respective columns for a few months now. The new faces include Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee - "the other man from Hope" - as well as Democratic Senators Harry Reid and Barack Obama and Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack. Obama edged his way into the rankings slowly, having been tested but not quite qualifying in previous months. Huckabee dieted his way in: last week he announced that he had lost 100 pounds, making a big news splash. It may not be a presidential moment, but face (and figure?) recognition are always good at this stage. As for Vilsack and Reid, I was simply remiss in not testing them in previous months. If I'm missing any more candidates, please tell me! Besides Huckabee, the other artificially high candidates are Governor Pataki, who announced that he will not run for another term and, as always, those in high-profile positions.

Rank	Candidate	Chatter	Rank Change
R.1	Sen. Bill Frist	1,500	0
R.2	Gov. George Pataki	1,100	+10
R.3	Gov. Mitt Romney	932	0
R.4	Sen. John McCain	751	-2
R.5	Newt Gingrich	387	+6
R.6	Gov. Mike Huckabee	317	new
R.7	Sen. Sam Brownback	314	+1
R.8	Secy. Condoleezza Rice	276	-3
R.9	Gov. Jeb Bush	273	-2
R.10	Sen. George Allen	249	0
R.11	Rudy Giuliani	203	-2
R.12	Sen. Chuck Hagel	173	-6
R.13	V.P. Dick Cheney	158	-9
...............	...............................................	.......................	...............
D.1	Sen. Hillary Clinton	1,920	0
D.2	Sen. John Kerry	663	0
D.3	Gov. Mark Warner	655	+3
D.4	Gov. Tom Vilsack	619	new
D.5	Sen. Harry Reid	468	new
D6	Sen. Evan Bayh	434	-3
D.7	Howard Dean	425	0
D.8	Sen. John Edwards	387	-4
D.9	Gov. Bill Richardson	304	-1
D.10	Sen. Joseph Biden	158	-5
D.11	Sen. Barack Obama	153	new

Notes: The Chatter Rankings are created by searching each candidate's name plus "2008" in the Google News database. This month's tested-but-not-qualifying list is Russ Feingold and Dick Gephardt. Compare this month's results to those of July, June, and May to get an idea of candidate trajectories.

2005-08-15T20:31:00.000Z

Letters From Math Camp: Day 1

Dear Mom and Dad, I am having fun at Math Camp. Today we learned about logical proofs and sets and functions. Most of it was just notation, though. We had donuts for breakfast and chicken caesar salad for lunch. Now I smell like raw onions. I might have a leftover donut for dinner. Don't worry, once I find my cabin and the store, I'll start eating real food. This morning the bus dropped me off at 5:00. It was still dark. I didn't know where I was going (inasmuch as the depot was in a different location than expected), but thank God I found my bearings and hiked three miles downriver to camp with a full pack. Now I have to hike out to my cabin which is across the river. Besides math, we learned about ID cards, the department, and what there is to do in Roch-Vegas (walk to the library... walk back). The other kids are very nerdy, like me. We talk about things like development theory and time-series analysis and post-doc placement. I think they know a lot more than I do, but I speak English and I know how to order food at a restaurant. One Russian guy asked the lady at Subway if she had "any normal food". I apologized for him and we left. I like Math Camp, but I think I'll be ready to come home by the end of the week. After all, one can only prove that integers are closed over multiplication so many times and still enjoy it. And this camp doesn't have any horses or archery or boats. See you on Friday. Love, - Chops

2005-08-13T13:28:00.000Z

Lima Beans

Maureen Dowd is back from book leave permanently, so we can all start loving to hate her again. And with good reason; today she elevated the debate over Karen Hughes' role with this gem:

W. thinks so highly of Ms. Hughes, his longtime Texas political nanny, spinner, speechwriter and ghostwriter, that he put his Lima Green Bean, as he called her when she prodded him about the environment, in charge of the critical effort to salvage America's horrendous image in the Islamic world - even though what she knows about Islam could fit in a lima green bean. Why get any Muslims involved in reaching out to Muslims? That would be so matchy.

Incidentally, I have a good reason not to have a Muslim czar for public diplomacy: the U.S. needs to avoid participating in the debate over Islamic theology. Dowd then proceeds to paint an ugly picture of women's rights in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The fundamentalist Taliban is recrudescing in Afghanistan...

So the Taliban was bad... but we shouldn't have helped the Northern Alliance overthrow it... because it might come back. Dowd offers no proof that the "recrudescent" Taliban has done anything substantial against women and she utterly igores the vast strides made for women's rights in Afghanistan.

...and women's groups in Iraq are terrified that the new constitution will cut women's rights to a Saudiesque level.

Again, the "it was better under Saddam" argument. Dowd would prefer the certainty of universal oppression to the possibility of gender oppression.

The back-to-burka trend has been widely reported throughout Shiite-dominated southern Iraq, and young women activists told The Los Angeles Times that their mothers had more freedom in the 60's. Najla Ubeidi, a lawyer in the Iraqi Women's League, agreed: "During the 1960's, there was a real belief in improving women's conditions. We could wear what we liked, go out when we liked, return home when we liked, and people would judge us by the way we behaved."

A large percentage of American women would also report having exercised a great deal more freedom in the 1960's as well. What's more, remember that Saddam didn't come to power until 1979, something Dowd seems to hope her readers will forget. What really proves that Dowd's lima bean of Middle Eastern knowledge is no larger than Hughes' or anyone else's is her ignorance of the region-wide "back-to-the-burka" movement that has indeed occurred since the 1960's. A quick history lesson: Arab women's rights blossomed in the 1920's, about the same time nationalism was first appearing, and while the British and French were still firmly in control. After Arab nationalism ran its course (the death knell was the 1973 October War), Arabs - men and women alike - joined what would be called a "revival" if it occurred in Christianity. In a twist of sociology that western feminists like Dowd find hard to imagine, the re-donning of the headscarf by a large portion of Egyptian and other Arab women was self-motivated. It was a status thing: the richest and most pious women wore it, so those who wanted to appear rich and pious began wearing it again, and back it came. A few Arab men require their wives to wear scarves, but most women do it voluntarily and may choose to doff it for outings in more Westernized parts of town. It is considered extremely rude to ask a woman about her veil-wearing habits. I have not been to Iraq, nor have I read any proper scholarship on Islamic trends among the Shi'ites, so I am not qualified to write specifically about the extent, nature, or motivation of Islamic revivalists there. Most western journalism on the topic is, like Dowd's piece, motivated by concerns other than descriptive sociology, and tends to give a superficial look at Iraqi life. But for Dowd to ignore the entire body of scholarship and experience on modern Islam vis-a-vis women in writing her piece shows that her knowledge of Islam exceeds only her desire to be fair-minded. It's good to have you back, Maureen.

2005-08-12T05:23:00.000Z

The Right-Wing Media

The Washington Post is generally even-handed in its editorial content, but today is a banner day for conservatives, and most of the pieces are worth reading.

The lead editorial is an unabashed taking-to-the-woodshed of NARAL Pro-Choice America, who plumbed new depths in abortion politics with their television ad attacking Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Tellingly, even the NARAL spokeswoman won't stand by the claims of the ad.
The second editorial is a big boost for the administration, praising America's much-greater-than-warranted contributions to relief in the Darfur crisis. Besides America and the North Sea nations, very little has been contributed, most notably by the Arab states (who should care very deeply about Sudan) and the Chinese (who profit from Sudanese oil). With all the America-bashing we've grown accustomed to, it's nice to hear someone else called onto the carpet for a change. More importantly, the Post concludes by quoting Joseph Britt: "We've heard a lot since Sept. 11, 2001, about how Arabs feel humiliated, ashamed, resentful at being regarded by the West as inferior in some way... Perhaps it is time to say plainly that the way to earn respect is through deeds worthy of respect." Indeed.
On the opinion side, Henry Kissinger has a lengthy piece on strategy in Iraq as it compares to Vietnam. The most notable things about the article were (a) Kissinger's detailed grasp of the nuances of conflict, (b) a conservative being willing to compare Vietnam and Iraq at length, (c) Kissinger's ability to spin Vietnam as an American victory. This last notwithstanding, it had never previously occurred to me to look at the military aspect of Vietnam. Like Iraq, the conflict was so politicized that it seems tactics must have been irrelevant. And yet it is inescapable that the ultimate political judgment, especially in hindsight, was decided on the field of battle. My conclusion: anyone who wants to be able to talk intelligently about the Iraq conflict should read Kissinger's piece.
In last place is a boneheaded sop to liberals. Eugene Robinson complains about the over-coverage on cable news of stories on lost white women. He correctly deduces that the driving force is ratings, not newsroom bias, and that [white] America still sees minorities as "the Other", and does not identify with them. He does not think to identify the equal attitude among minorities: that they do not identify with whites. As long as blacks and Hispanics hold themselves out as "different" and maintain that whites cannot understand their American experience, we'll believe them. Compare that to modern Asian immigration: Asians identify with the majority, and in response are considered, after a generation or two, one of "Us".

2005-08-11T22:21:00.000Z

The Girl Crush

Jennifer 8. Lee unleashed the term "man date" onto the unsuspecting social lexicon on April 10th. Her article, reprinted here, will give her a few years of dinner-party faux fame and a lifetime of resentment from men who don't like their guy-time to come anywhere near the word "date". Now, however, an equal and opposite term has touched down, also in the NYTimes Style section. Stephanie Rosenbloom introduces the world to the "girl crush", a grotesque melange of admiration and attachment that grown women apparently feel toward one another on occasion. A girl crush goes beyond the understandable admiration of meeting someone you wish you were like; it is similar, social scientists say, to a romantic crush, though it lacks sexual overtones. A crush may blossom into a friendship, or (like a romantic crush) it may simply weird out the object of this effete emotional diarrhea. Girl crush. Just saying it makes me want to throw up in my mouth.

2005-08-11T04:07:00.000Z

Palestinian Dreams Unfulfilled, MCDXLIII

Palestinians in Jenin once wanted the whole land west of the Jordan. Then they just wanted the 1967 borders. Then they just wanted a sandwich. The longstanding Palestinian dream to build the longest sandwich in the world ended yesterday in ignomy. Haaretz reports:

"We were planning to add the mortadella and stuffing at the last minute to rule out any possibility of rotting," chef Ahmed Nazzal told Reuters. "There must be a conspiracy against us by other competitors."

The current sandwich-length record holders are Portuguese. Who knew Portugal was part of the Vast Zionist Conspiracy?

2005-08-10T18:31:00.000Z

Iranians Hate Cute Aquatic Mammals

The New York Times headline reads: Seals Are Removed at Nuclear Site in Iran. After getting over the homophonic hilarity, the article is worthy of serious consideration. Iran's nuclear capabilities may be the foremost challenge to world peace in the coming decades. This is not merely Farsiphobia (farsifobia? pharsiphobia?), because Iran's nuclear program is likely to have a domino effect across its region. If Iran does build weapons - or even comes close to doing so - it will spur Saudi Arabia and other competitors for regional leadership to follow suit, much as Pakistan's nukes have been an added impetus to Iran's nuclear ambitions. And if you think the Middle East can't get any worse than it's been, think again. Nuclear politics was a focus for many around the world during the Cold War, and rightly so. The efforts of the previous generation are seen in the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons during the Cold War. In the current era, however, more and more leaders of mid-level powers are adopting the 2004 Red Sox motto: "Why Not Us?" And indeed, a few (India, Pakistan, Israel) have already succeeded in gaining nukes, and others (Iraq, North Korea, Iran) are or have been well on their way to nuclear armament. But is this really such a bad thing? After all, many strategists see nuclear weapons as primarily defensive: no nation would use them offensively, they say, because that would bring the whole world down on its head, but they serve as an amply deterrent defense against rogue neighbors. But in today's world, who needs nukes? The days of competing superpowers are over; the new paradigm is states v. non-states, and nukes are a one-way weapon inasmuch as they can only be used against states. Thus, in the current climate, developing nukes signals that you see yourself on the side of the non-state actors and against the rest of the world's states. The circumstantial evidence strengthens this hypothesis, as the powers currently pursuing nukes are those most at odds with the rest of the world - Iran and North Korea. Robert Mugabe would probably be buying nukes as well, if Zimbabwe could afford them. So what should the international community do? The Post evaded this question in yesterday's surprisingly aggressive editorial, concluding intelligently (and obviously) that the U.S. and Europe should act in unison on the issue, but not recommending a specific course. Israel might pull another Osirak, but they now have much more to lose in terms of credibility than they did in 1981. A U.S.-led or -sanctioned raid would be a public diplomacy disaster, proving to conspiracy theorists from Kandahar to Casablanca that the U.S. is indeed bent on conquering their entire region. The best raid agent might actually be a post-occupation Iraqi government, which would be the only other Shi'ite government in the world, and a neighbor with a great deal to lose from Iranian nuclear power. Today's post is dedicated to my new Persian friend with whom I spent time this morning, and who will probably disagree with me quite heartily.

2005-08-09T15:12:00.000Z

Girls Still Suck

If you remember the blog Girls-Suck, you can credit yourself as a longtime InstantReplay reader. Girls-Suck was a staple of IR's first year, and for old time's sake I went over to see how they're doing. The site has moved to a new location, but girls still, apparently, suck.* One gem they recently linked to is this picture worth a thousand words, which elucidates the difference between men and women. * Incidentally, in my private research, I have not found anything to dispute this conclusion.

2005-08-08T02:00:00.000Z

Yankee Fans Are Terrorists

In case there wasn`t already ample evidence that New York Yankees fans should not be tolerated outside their natural habitat (the anarchical jungles of the Bronx), it is becoming clear that the London suicide bombers were Yankee fans. The NY Daily News reports:

In the July 7 train and bus attacks that killed 52 people plus the four bombers, one of the terrorists was wearing a New York Yankees cap... In a widely published surveillance photo, captured suspect Ramzi Mohammed is seen wearing a sweat shirt with "New York" on the front as he ran through a London subway station on July 21.

Hat tip to Drudge for the story. The tastelessness is all mine.

2005-08-07T19:43:00.000Z

If a Revolution Happens In the Desert and Nobody Cares, Does It HAve an International Impact?

Apparently not. Ya go away for a few days, and ya come back and nobody tells ya that the Mauritanian dictator was overthrown! What, you mean you didn't know either? And you really don't care? For the record, Mauritania is a small nation at the western end of the Sahara Desert, on the Atlantic Ocean. Its dicator, Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya, was overthrown while he was away attending Saudi King Fahd's funeral. The coup leaders are a military junta, which has vowed to hold elections within two years. (Aren't military juntas so very twentieth century; maybe this is the beginning of a whole new retro fad, complete with summary executions and crocodile tears for "democratic" leaders). According to the BBC, the coup had an impact comparable to a football playoff-game victory:

Following the announcement on national radio, people took to the streets of Nouakchott in celebration, hooting their car horns. "I can hear the cars now and people running in the streets. People are celebrating," resident Hassan Ahmed told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme... Shops immediately shut down and civil servants left their offices.

So the Junta Leaders win in the semifinals, but will face a tough challenge in the final, where they'll face a smack-talking coalition of African Union and U.N. leaders. Whether Annan, Obasanjo and Tandja will back their words up with a strong performance on the field remains to be seen.

2005-08-06T02:56:00.000Z

Pork For Me

As a Massachusetts cycling advocate, I'm pleased to see that $40 million was appropriated to improve and extend the Commonwealth's bike paths. Terrific: bike paths are generally underfunded and poorly maintained, and benefits of building them accrue to health and neighborhood safety as well as transportation and recreation. But the $40 million was appropriated by Congress. It's just my piece of $286 billion pie divied up among transport projects around the country, very few of which are genuinely interstate in nature. Yet, under the liberally interpreted Interstate Commerce Clause, Congress can give (or withhold) money to local projects anywhere in the USA. This is not, of course, a new means of undermining federalism, but just another trudging step in the same misguided direction that Washington has been going for a century now.

2005-08-01T18:29:00.000Z

Shebaa Farms

Quite a few new geographic designations have been created in the Middle East to accommodate the lexicon of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Some (the Golan Heights, South Lebanon) are sensible, others reflect a new reality (the Gaza Strip, the West Bank), and some, like the Shebaa Farms, are simply absurd. For the uninitiated, the Shebaa Farms are a small sliver of land encompassing fourteen small farms and located along the border of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and Lebanon, on the western slopes of Mount Hermon. According to international lawyers, the land is Syrian, as is the rest of the Golan Heights. However, according to both Syria and Lebanon, the land was freely given to the latter in 1951. This position is maintained by Syria as a way of coopting Lebanon into the Syrian-Israeli conflict. The less-than-reputable World Tribune.com reports today (in a story picked up by Drudge) that Condoleezza Rice is trying to convince Israel to give the piece of land back to Lebanon. Its strategic value is dubious, while its political value is obvious: a peace offering to Lebanon to show goodwill and deflate some of Hezbullah's rhetoric. Given Ariel Sharon's willingness to evacuate Gaza, I assume that the only question in Shebaa is when - not if - Israel should leave. The gesture is so small and inherently meaningless that it will have only a brief impact. Israel is no doubt saving it for the opportune moment, which might well be only when Lebanon is willing to reopen relations with Israel. That day will hopefully come sooner rather than later, and if the two truly reopen relations, it could cause unprecedented growth and good feeling throughout the region.

2005-07-26T15:04:00.000Z

Repeated Blows To The Head

MosNews reports that Russia's spammer laureate is dead.

Vardan Kushnir, notorious for sending spam to each and every citizen of Russia who appeared to have an e-mail, was found dead in his Moscow apartment on Sunday, Interfax reported Monday. He died after suffering repeated blows to the head.

This is what happens when the law fails to stop destructive activities: citizens take justice into their own hands. It would, of course, have been more apropos to kill the blighter by paper-cutting him to death, or by burying him in a thousand pounds of sticky notes, one by one. Hat tip to Drudge

2005-07-26T03:06:00.000Z

Will Work For Change

The decline of organized labor has been well-documented, and today's move by the Service Employees and Teamsters to quit the AFL-CIO could either save or scuttle it in the long run. In the short run, however, it will almost without a doubt hurt labor, which will now feature competition among existing unionists instead of outreach to those on the fringe. Econo-politically, the rift is telling. While I haven't done real research into this, the Post story makes clear that the dominant forces in the AFL-CIO recently have been the teachers' unions and the public servants' unions, and the grievance of those in the other camp (teamsters, service workers, carpenters, and others tied to the non-manufacturing private sector) has been that too much time and money is spent on politics, too little on affecting change at the grassroots. In short, labor (part of it, anyway) is becoming conservative. If not in goals, in methods. The leadership has realized that no amount of political sway and no quantity of handouts can save the union way of life. Just like in the early days of organized labor, the impetus for change and results has to come from the workers themselves, not edict-issuers behind mahogany desks. Hopefully, some of the union leaders have realized that manufacturing cannot be saved by demanding more concessions of companies already on the rocks. When labor first organized, it was effective because owners was taking the lion's share of profits. Now, a lion would starve on the profits most manufacturing concerns are making. This is not an easy time for anyone in the industry, but InstantReplay applauds leaders in labor and business who can come up with creative ways to keep Americans working - and we condemn those who think they can turn back the clock to 1970.

2005-07-22T15:09:00.000Z

Double Standard

Remember the flap that occurred when soldiers in Iraq called Secretary Rumsfeld onto the carpet for Washington's shortcomings in running their war? Huge press. Enormous press. But when soldiers at Guantanamo gave "a piece of their mind" to Senators Kennedy (D-MA) and Akaka (D-HI), the only mention is in the Washington Times. The rest of the press is silent on the issue. Hat tip to Drudge.

2005-07-21T17:22:00.000Z

Win, Lose, or Rain?

People are split over Justice Roberts' nomination: some say his record is too short to know him; others say that it's clear what kind of justice he will be. This latter group is split between those (like E.J. Dionne) who think he will be a strong rightist and others (including Ann Coulter) who think he's moderate and will move left. This tells me that those who think we don't know yet are correct.

His inscrutability may be precisely why Bush has placed him on the court now, and did not hold his piece de resistance in reserve for the expected Rehnquist vacancy. This way, Bush can get a look at Roberts in action, and when Rehnquist dies (or retires, though I suspect the latter will occur first) elevate Roberts to Chief Justice and put a woman or minority onto the Court as an Associate Justice. This is not what Justice O'Connor expects, though it jibes with her assertion that Bush would not want a woman or minority as Chief Justice. Better put, the sentiment is that Bush would want the best justice on the Court as Chief, not a justice who is there primarily because of his or her birth circumstances.

Of course, Rehnquist is loudly insisting that he's "not dead yet", and one of my coworkers believes he'll hang on for another five or ten years. I'm less convinced. His health is so poor, and the pressure to retire while the government is in Republican hands is so high, that I find it hard to imagine him hanging on until 2009. Whether another justice will join him in death or retirement is less predictable - none of the liberals would want to step down and hand the balance of power to a Republican majority, though none except Ginsburg and Breyer were actually appointed by Democrats.

2005-07-20T03:19:00.000Z

Roberts!

President Bush surprised everyone by picking John Roberts of the D.C. Circuit as his first Supreme Court nominee. Roberts fits the Bush appointee mold: he's got a long history of service to the party, but is a pragmatist, not an ideologue. Confirmation shouldn't be a problem for Roberts, though the Maxine Waters branch of the Democratic Party will probably whine about his white maleness.

Frankly, his white maleness might actually be a sign that Washington is arriving in the promised land of race irrelevance. Think about professional sports: race was once a big deal, and it took heroics by the likes of Robinson to achieve the irrelevance that athletes today take for granted. "I have a dream," he could have said, "that one day, black pitchers will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the speed of their fastball." Likewise, the goal of affirmative action and desegregation should not be to create some Lebanon-esque quota system, but to get to a point where people are valued for their minds and character (or at least for their connections and money), and race matters only as, say, state of origin does now.

2005-07-19T04:19:00.000Z

Voice Mail

I went to an enjoyable Nationals game tonight (unfortunately, they lost yet again). But the poor fielding and the drunk fans were no match in the unintentionally funny category for the voice mail I received when I left the game:

Hey Chops this is Rural America I just wanted to call to tell you I found your future wife and I'm really excited and Keziah approved and she's totally interested and when you come out here you've got to meet this girl and she's beautiful too. She's like-- I see no flaws. I'm totally impressed. You've got to meet her. We'll go out when you come up. Please call me back 'cause I'm very excited. Ok hope you're having a great day bye.

Apparently, I came up in casual conversation between Rural America and my sister Kez at their Bible study, and by the end of the conversation I had been married off to a comely Persian-American from Wellesley College.

2005-07-18T19:32:00.000Z

Lose The Battles, Win the War

Escalating violence in Iraq has called the Coalition's chances of victory in Iraq into question more and more. NYTimes reports the aftermath of a massive suicide attack (exploiting an oil tanker) in Mussayib, a poor Shia community near Baghdad. With terrorists killing more, not fewer, Iraqis, and with no apparent correlation between Coalition efforts and on-the-ground results it's hard to argue that increased effort or a few key nabs will turn the tide.

America, however, has a history of winning wars despite losing battles. The Revolutionary War made the concept famous, as Generals Washington and Greene retreated their way into history. The Civil War witnessed a virtually unbeatable Confederate Army under Robert E. Lee - yet it surrendered to the Union Army of the Potomac, whose greatest accomplishments were those times it managed to avert disaster. Conversely, the U.S. won many a battle in Vietnam, and had an astronomical kills-to-casualties ratio, but lost the war ignominiously.

Where does Iraq fit in? Can we really call suicide bombings "lost battles" in any meaningful military sense? Is this just another Vietnam, where endless waves of expendable cannon fodder will ultimately overwhelm the will to war of the U.S. and her allies?

In reality, losing battles has little to do with winning wars. However, in hearts-and-minds conflicts, at least, winning battles has equally little to do with winning wars. And the Times article, as biased and negative as it is (see the opening paragraph), contains the seeds of the Coalition victory:

The attacks also come as most of the country's major Sunni Arab communities have begun to coalesce around a commitment to get out the Sunni Arab vote in the December elections for a full government, a decision the government views as a further step toward solidifying a political process that the insurgency has been trying to undermine.

The insurgents may be killing people on a large scale, but Iraq is not Spain. After two decades of Saddam Hussein, random killings are part of the fabric of a rough national life. The goal of the insurgents, apparently, is to disrupt the democratic process enough that the Americans leave, a civil war ensues, and their various backers then have a chance to take over. However, Sunnis, as the quote above states, have realized that their future lies with the Coalition-backed government, not a rebellion. This is in no small part due to the remarkable forbearance of Shi'ites, who have refrained from vengeance despite two decades under Saddam and two years at the hands of suicide bombers. They want stability (if not democracy) and the loyalty and discipline with which they follow their leaders has made a Coalition victory possible.

Shi'ite forbearance has led to a slow growth of Sunni trust, and a possibility that the U.S. could win this war without ever fully stemming the tide of suicide bombs. Obviously, the murderous pace of the past week cannot be sustained, but with some ups and downs, its not unreasonable to imagine a scenario where Iraq's policymakers go through with a successful constitutional convention and subsequent elections, with the same gumption that they showed last time around, and the U.S. begins to withdraw shortly thereafter.

Without the U.S. presence, what will the suicide bombers be attacking? I doubt Zarqawi & Co. will still have eager recruits when it becomes starkly clear that the only business in town is killing other Arabs.

2005-07-14T18:35:00.000Z

Free-For-All 2008: Does McCain Have a Chance?

The resignation of Justice O'Connor has taken some wind out of the sails of 2008 preparation. It is inevitable that there be some breaks in the Perpetual Election, if only to perform what many think is the most important piece of business of a presidency. What's more, since Bush will replace O'Connor, his successor won't. That puts more weight in the long-term battles of politics on the present at the expense of the future.

Matt Drudge's breaking news today that John McCain has an uncredited cameo in the raunchy comedy Wedding Crashers is, as InstantReplay reader Law Abiding Citizen would say, "more evidence for the prosecution". In McCain's case, it's more evidence that he's not personally committed to Christian values, despite his Beltway harangues about crass R-rated flicks.

McCain is going to have a devil of a time becoming president. He has many advantages, most notably his high name-recognition and positive impression, which is why he keeps winning what-if polls like Zogby's from late June. His principled centrism makes him popular, but it also makes him easy to beat in the primaries, especially if the Christian Right unites behind a single candidate, as some leaders are trying to do. Today's news that the Michigan G.O.P. will be barring Democrats and Independents from voting in the Republican primary is another nail in the coffin of McCain's hope of winning a primary outright.

Would McCain be an effective president? Most likely. He's an independent, tough-minded leader. He's not afraid of his own opinion, and he's pleasant to look at and listen to. He's a centrist who would make partisans on both sides look petty, and his relationship with the legislative branch would be excellent. However, the only scenarios under which I can foresee McCain becoming president would be:

He runs as an independent against weak Rep. and Dem. nominees. With Hillary all but a lock on the left, that's unlikely.
Centrist Republicans like Pataki and Giuliani drop out of the race early, leaving McCain to sweep the center/left primary votes against a divided right. He would annihilate Hillary in the general election.
Hillary becomes so popular that Republicans panic en masse in the primaries and vote for McCain for his electability.
Hillary dies in office, and Vice President McCain succeeds her.

Here are July's chatter rankings. New York Republicans slip some more, Massachusetts is up on both boards. Hagel, Condi, and Biden recover from last month's losses, but Howard Dean drops lower than we've seen him. George Allen and Newt Gingrich prove incapable of keeping last month's interest alive. This month's overperformers included Romney, Bayh, and Biden, all of whom recently announced their interest in the presidency. Frist, Cheney, and Rice, as newsmakers in their own right, continually outperform their true status. Also notable is Hillary, who stayed in first place, but more than doubled her hits.

Rank	Candidate	Chatter	Rank Change
R.1	Sen. Bill Frist	1,200	0
R.2	Sen. John McCain	992	0
R.3	Gov. Mitt Romney	596	+3
R.4	V.P. Dick Cheney	493	+3
R.5	Secy. Condoleezza Rice	482	+5
R.6	Sen. Chuck Hagel	447	+5
R.7	Gov. Jeb Bush	331	-2
R.8	Sen. Sam Brownback	320	+2*
R.9	Rudy Giuliani	290	-1
R.10	Sen. George Allen	246	-7
R.11	Newt Gingrich	204	-7
R.12	Gov. George Pataki	178	-3
...............	...............................................	.......................	...............
D.1	Sen. Hillary Clinton	3,440	0
D.2	Sen. John Kerry	1,360	+1
D.3	Sen. Evan Bayh	591	+4
D.4	Sen. John Edwards	568	0
D.5	Sen. Joseph Biden	505	+3
D.6	Gov. Mark Warner	429	-1
D.7	Howard Dean	333	-5
D.8	Gov. Bill Richardson	245	-2

Notes: The Chatter Rankings are created by searching each candidate's name plus "2008" in the Google News database.
This month's tested-but-not-qualifying list includes Russell Feingold, Barack Obama, Mike Huckabee.

* Sam Brownback was not ranked last month but would have placed 10th.

Compare this month's results to those of June and May to get an idea of candidate trajectories.

2005-07-14T16:34:00.000Z

Belgium Advances to the Finals!

In other international baseball news, InstantReplay's correspondent/mother reports from Kutno, Poland:

In nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat action over the last seven days, Belgium All-Stars have beat Austria 8 to 2, Poland 10 to 9, Germany 12 to 6, Belarus 11 to 1, and today in extra innings, Ukraine 8 to 7. We lost miserably to Netherlands on Sunday, 13 to 0.

Netherlands has yet to lose a game and we will play them tomorrow for the championship game, 8:00 Friday evening. They are big, they are strong -- I believe to win we need prayer.

Today Barnabas was in clutch situations twice, key moments that could have turned/won the game & he hit the ball both times but was thrown out. He needs a BIG hit.

This is similar to the scenario that played out last year: the Netherlands beat Belgium in the first round, but the Sprout-Eaters triumphed in the final, sending them to Michigan for the Junior League world championships. If that is repeated this year, I'll be thrilled for my brother, but also a little disappointed: he'd have to skip our planned 2-city, 4-playoff-contending-team baseball road trip at the end of this month.

2005-07-14T15:32:00.000Z

World Baseball Classic Bracket Set

Major League Baseball has set the bracket for the World Baseball Classic. Pool A will play in Japan; the nationalist subplots will run rampant as Taiwan, China, Japan, and Korea all play their old wartime enemies and uneasy neighbors. In Pool B, South Africa will join the NAFTA members in a group the USA and Mexico should easily headline. Pool C will be hosted by Puerto Rico, and include Panama, Cuba, and the Netherlands. In Pool D, also held in the U.S., the runaway favorites will beat up on Venezuela, Italy, and Australia. The question is not whether the Dominicans will make the finals, but whether they will score less than 15 runs in any game. A-Rod, Tejada, Manny, Pujols, Papi, Sammy, Vlad, Aramis, Pedro, anyone?

The other early favorites have to be the U.S., with all that pitching talent, and Cuba, which will play as a cohesive team and want to make the most of this opportunity to show up the free world. The only other real national team will be the Chinese, and their main goal will be to look respectable losing to Taiwan and Japan; after that, they'll just root for their Cuban comrades.

The Classic not only provides a forum for post-colonial and post-Cold War revenge, its also a chance to learn about other baseball-playing lands for American fans and journalists, such MLB staffer Barry Broom, who wrote that Cuba is a "tiny coummunist [sic] island 90 miles south of Miami Beach" or that Andruw Jones is from "Holland" (he's from Curacao, one of the Netherlands Antilles). Some American-born players want to go with their country of ancestry: A-Rod has said he's going to play for the Dominican. Nomaas.org suggests that Giambi should join the Italians.

2005-07-12T17:19:00.000Z

Death Is Too Good For Hackers

The rascally John Tierney writes in the New York Times that death - let alone 30 hours of community service - is not harsh enough a punishment for Sven Jaschan, the whoreson rogue who released the devastating Sasser Worm on the world's computer's. His jumping off point is a study by Professor Steven Landsburg of University of Rochester.

Professor Landsburg, an economist at the University of Rochester, has calculated the relative value to society of executing murderers and hackers. By using studies estimating the deterrent value of capital punishment, he figures that executing one murderer yields at most $100 million in social benefits.

The benefits of executing a hacker would be greater, he argues, because the social costs of hacking are estimated to be so much higher: $50 billion per year. Deterring a mere one-fifth of 1 percent of those crimes - one in 500 hackers - would save society $100 million. And Professor Landsburg believes that a lot more than one in 500 hackers would be deterred by the sight of a colleague on death row.

But Tierney, appropriately, is unenamored of capital punishment for destructive teenage nerds. Like any good disciplinarian, he wants a punishment - one worse than death - that better fits the crime.

The experts weren't sure that any punishment could fit the crime, but they had several suggestions: Make the hacker spend 16 hours a day fielding help-desk inquiries in an AOL chat room for computer novices. Force him to do this with a user name at least as uncool as KoolDude and to work on a vintage IBM PC with a 2400-baud dial-up connection.

Brutal.

2005-07-12T01:46:00.000Z

Pre-Enlightenment Enlightenment

As many of my readers know, I'm always gratified to find evidences that modern Christianity was not a product of the Enlightenment. Reading Pascal and Augustine this year has gone a long way to show me that the modern liberal claim that our values originated in the Enlightment is simply revisionist. Our modern reading of the Bible is no different than that of the writers of past millenia, nor probably than that of its original readers.

The latest from Augustine is echoed in Descartes's cogito ergo sum. From City of God XI,26:

For we are and we know that we are, and we love to be and to know that we are. And in this trinity of being, knowledge, and love there is not a shadow of illusion to disturb us. For, we do not reach these inner realities with our bodily senses as we do external objects, as, for example, color by seeing, sound by hearing, [etc.]... In the case of such sensible things, the best we do is to form very close and immaterial images which help us to turn them over in our minds, to hold them in our memory, and thus to keep our love for them alive. But, without any illusion of image, fancy, or phantasm, I am certain that I am, that I know that I am, and that I love to be and to know.

There is, of course, a material difference between Augustine's "trinity of being, knowledge, and love" and Descartes's "I think therefore I am". For Descartes asserts that his being is premised on his own power of cognition, whereas Augustine and Pascal (as previously discussed) cast the focus on the creator, and are postmodernly self-aware (i.e., aware of their self-awareness) without losing their awe of the Supreme Being who is the reference point for their and indeed all other being.

2005-07-11T16:53:00.000Z

Dateline: Kutno

The Junior League baseball championships are underway in Kutno, Poland. The Netherlands powerhouse had a bye today after sweeping their first three games by a combined score of 31-2. Belgium beat Poland today 10-9 in extra innings. Details of the schedule and results can be found here. The Brussels Bomber went 2 for 3 with a walk, ably fulfilling his role as leadoff batter.

2005-07-11T14:54:00.000Z

Precocious Blogger

The Globe today profiled a young up-and-comer in the baseball scene: 12-year-old blogger Alex Reimer.

The article is better than the blog, but this kid definitely has smarts, eloquence and confidence. Perhaps too much of the last; his blog profile reads:

Hey, I'm a 12 year- old sports genius. You can hear me on Sports Bloggers Live regularly or on MLB radio.

2005-07-08T13:34:00.000Z

Stiff Upper Lip

What are the British made of? This is the fundamental question which must be answered to evaluate the likely fallout from the London bombings yesterday. Compare the response to 9/11 among Americans (blue-staters especially) with that of the Spanish after their bombings. The U.S. responded by circling wagons, approving of their president, and being resolved that we would not be cowed by violence. There is a fundamental unwillingness to be bullied deep in the American psyche.

Not so in Spain. The populace took one look at the carnage caused by terrorists in Madrid, and decided that it wasn't worth the cost to remain in Iraq. This, of course, gave power and confidence to the terrorists, who know now that some countries, at least, can be scared off with just a single bloody attack. They're hoping that the London bombing will have the same effect. Perversely, the Spanish cowardice is a contributing cause to the London attack: if all nations responded to attacks with toughness, most attacks would peter out. Notice that Al-Qaeda has not attacked either the U.S. or Israel since 9/11, though those countries are its rhetorical whipping-boys. Instead, they deliver their bombs where the effect will be fear and retreat.

So will the Britons retain their fabled stoic calm, and unite behind Blair in the war on terror? Or will they desert their leaders and look for a quick exit from Iraq, Afghanistan, and their position of international responsibility?

We have nothing to fear but fear itself.

2005-07-07T02:11:00.000Z

Too Darn Hot

You know it's time to move north when your cell phone sustains water damage after you use it outdoors on a sunny day. It's so hot and humid that my ear sweat was enough to soak into the phone! Gross.

2005-07-05T15:51:00.000Z

Rockin' Fourth

Just got back this morning from a terrific Independence Day weekend in New England. Saturday, hung out at Ponkapoag with my sister (whom I hadn't seen in six months), and enjoyed a halcyon summer's day - swimming, sailing, walking, eating, playing "Beckon". Just like old times. Sunday, hung out with Ali Baba - we hit up a piss-poor Chowderfest, where 7 out of 10 participating restaurants had canceled. Apparently the Red Tide is no joke. The Harbor was nice, though, and after dinner at my place we went down to the Boston Pops dress rehearsal, which has everything the real celebration has except the fireworks and crushing crowds. On the Fourth, went out with Ali, Dubya, and Stevo to Connecticut for the afternoon - excellent times all around! I'm still digesting the steak tips, and the Boat Parade was pretty cool (and gave new meaning to the word "float"). The one downside: two overnight drives, though Mistie split the driving with me, so I'm only half-dead at work today.

Anyway, hope y'all had as good a holiday as I did.

2005-07-01T16:06:00.000Z

O'CONNOR RETIRES!

Fifteen minutes ago, the Post broke the story that Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement this morning in a letter to the President! O'Connor has long been a key swing vote in a split court, and the opportunity to replace her before the conservative Rehnquist raises the possibility of a conservative majority. Bush's "short list" of potential nominees is rumored to include no women, and there's always been pressure to replace justices with similar individuals. (One president got in trouble for giving a "Jewish seat" to a gentile).

I believe it was James Taranto who suggested that a smart strategy for the president would be to use one of the recently approved compromise nominees as a Supreme Court appointment, since it would put the Democrats on the Gang of 14 in a very uncomfortable position. Since two of those justices were women, and since the fight to replace a moderate with a conservative will be tougher than if Bush were merely replacing already-conservative Rehnquist, this might well come to pass.

It's going to be an exciting summer in Washington!

2005-06-30T18:24:00.000Z

Retooled

I've updated the Tools section of the right link-bar, and renamed it the Toolbox. Dictionary.com is new, and Mapquest has been replaced by Google Maps, under the more easily indexed title "Maps".

Google Maps is, for lack of a better word, hot. Smokin'. The shiznit. All that. It's the Lamborghini of map websites. Platinum. The ace of spades. It's the longbow to Mapquest's heavy cavalry, and InstantReplay is Agincourt. Instead of filling in boxes for address, city, state, and zip, you just type whatever you know in one big Googlebar. Type in "bwi", and you get a map of Baltimore-Washington International Airport. Woot!

Guys love getting new tools.

2005-06-29T20:13:00.000Z

InstantExpert: Beer

InstantReplay thinks everybody should be an expert in everything. Failing that, you should at least be able to pretend you know everything. So in advance of the Fourth of July weekend, here's the InstantExpert's guide to talking about beer as if you actually know it.

First, attitude. When talking about beer, the key is to appear as though you know everything without appearing too interested. Cultivate an informed bored detachment, and change the subject shortly after scoring whatever "I look smart" points you need to score. This not only protects you from potentially destructive follow-up questions, but it also elevates you from a rather unphilosophical (and thus image-unfriendly) topic.

Second, beer basics. Ask Yahoo summarizes the basic types of beer neatly:

Ale - made with a top fermenting yeast, ales are described as "hearty, robust, and fruity."
Bitter - a mainstay in English pubs, this golden-brown draft ale is top-fermented, hoppy, dry, and lightly carbonated.
Lager - made with a bottom fermenting yeast, lagers are characteristically "smooth, elegant, crisp, and clean." Comparable to pilsener.
Stout - typically dark, heavy, and richly flavored, stout is "top-fermented beer made from pale malt, roasted unmalted barley, and often caramel malt."

Beers in a Box explains the brewing process, and the distinction between top- and bottom-fermentation, but you don't need to know that to look smart. Just remember that lager is fermented and aged at cooler temperatures than other beers, which is why it ferments at the bottom.

Third, pouring. Buy a twelve-pack of Schlitts and practice until you can fit the entire beer into a glass no bigger than the can without a drop of spillage. This is a crucial skill, because in four out of five beer-related situations, your only opportunity to show off your aley knowledge will be the pour. Not unrelated to pouring is warmth: beer should be served below room temperature, but above fridge temperature. Before serving a good beer, allow it to warm up just a bit to bring out its flavor.

Fourth, selection. Beer isn't ice cream, and having a "favorite flavor" will utterly ruin your connoisseur image. Click here for the 2004 International Beer Competition winners (in .pdf), if you want to taste (or just name-drop) some champs. Rubbing shoulders with the Belgian and English heavyweights is Boston's own Samuel Adams, which snagged golds with its SA Light and SA Winter Lager in the "lagers up to 4.2%" and "seasonal beers" categories. In general, it's safe to take whatever beer is local at your place of purchase, especially if you are travelling or if the bar brews its own. This is both slightly patronizing and a way to snag a bottle that hasn't been transported over land and sea. A study of the American macrobrew industry reveals that the conquest of the market by the so-called luxury beers (like Budweiser!) in the 1960's was accomplished not by transporting beer to new markets, but by opening new breweries there.

Fifth, handling. From the NYTimes article that inspired this post:

As in every tasting of beer and ale, the biggest problem we encountered was with freshness. Mr. Carroll expressed shock at the number of ales that showed signs of damage from exposure to high heat or direct light. For all the he-man, macho attributes foisted on beer by marketing, it is surprisingly fragile and needs to be handled delicately. That means it needs to be refrigerated as much as possible and protected from direct light. Mr. Sullivan suggested that if you are selecting beer from one of those perpetually lighted coolers, choose bottles from the back, where they are at least partly protected.

To store beer, just be careful not to change its temperature. If you refrigerate it (or buy it chilled), do not warm it up again. Better yet, store it in a cooler in your basement until you need to chill it for drinking.

More tips can be found at Beer Advocate, which has a huge section of "beer education", where you can hone your expertise. In particular, learn to match beers and cheeses. The general principle (much like with wine-matching) is that the stronger the cheese, the stronger the beer.

Last, but most importantly, taste your beer. From Beer Advocate:

Now sip the beer. Resist swallowing immediately. Let it wander and explore your entire palate. Let your taste buds speak. Note the mouthfeel, the consistency of the liquid's body, and breathe out during the process of tasting. This process of exhaling is called "retro-olfaction" and will release retained stimulations at the mucus and mouthfeel level, but at a higher temperature. At times this will be the same as the olfactory process if not different and complimentary. Try to detect any sweetness, salty flavors, acids and general bitterness. Explain what they are, or what they are similar to.

Describe a beer at your peril. It is the foremost temptation of the budding faux expert to run at the mouth using words like "fruity" and "hops". But there are those with better taste buds and more beer experience. As Realbeer.com points out, what you think is a fancy foreign brew may simply be skunked beer. Instead, describe conservatively and only say what you really do taste. Here's the judges' description of Sammy Light from the 2004 IBC:

Bittersweet, toasted malt is the main feature, with hops subdued except for a perfumed, floral note, but the judges considered this a clean and very drinkable beer.

So have a good Fourth of July drink this weekend, and if anyone asks you how you know so much about beer, just tell them your learned it drinking with me.

2005-06-29T19:53:00.000Z

Tomorrow's Energy, Today's Discount

The International Thermonculear Experimental Reactor consortium (USA, EU, Japan, South Korea, Canada) have agreed to build in France. This is a big step towards having clean, non-nuclear-waste-producing fusion power. The reactor is not expected to be used for consumer electricity until 2050.

The process is extremely complex and extremely costly (NYTimes throws out the number $10 billion), and we can assume that much of the science needed to successfully run this sucker will be developed between now and 2050. Hopefully, $10 billion will be enough to squeeze some serious innovations out of the world's scientists, one of whom was quoted in the NYTimes article:

The machine is very complicated.

Indeed. But will it do anything about our $60-a-barrel oil in the intervening decades? Actually, yes. Oil is pumped in most major producers at rates set strictly by national governments with long-range views (monarchies don't live on four-year cycles). If they see higher oil prices to the end of the horizon, they have an incentive to keep the taps tight, making the most of their resources. Fusion, fuel-cell, nuclear, and other alternative fuels, however, are a threat to oil producers - not a threat today, but a future threat. Lowering the estimated cost of oil in 2050, lowers the actual cost today by decreasing the incentive for producers to hoard their crude. Does ITER mean I'll be able to spend $1.25 a gallon on my Fourth of July roadtrip this weekend? No, but it might mean that next year's gas prices remain at $2.10, and aren't $2.60 or $3.10. And that's probably good for all of us.

2005-06-29T19:04:00.000Z

Vanitas Politatum

I'm generally unimpressed with Peggy Noonan's partisan rants in the Wall Street Journal. But this week she's avoided the partisanship and pointed out the sheer shameless vanity of public officials.

...the senators who spoke referred to themselves with such flights of vanity and conceit--we're so brave, so farsighted, so high-minded--that it was embarrassing...

Sen. Barack Obama, flapping his wings in Time magazine and explaining that he's a lot like Abraham Lincoln, only sort of better... There is nothing wrong with Barack Obama's résumé, but it is a log-cabin-free zone. So far it also is a greatness-free zone. If he keeps talking about himself like this it always will be...

I admire Bill Frist, but can you imagine George Washington referring in public, or in private for that matter, to his many virtues? In normal America if you have a high character you don't wrestle people to the ground until they acknowledge it. You certainly don't announce it...

Why did [the Clintons] feel it right to inject a partisan political component into a spiritual event? Why take advantage of the good nature and generosity of an old hero? Why, after spending their entire adulthoods in public life, have they not developed or at least learned to imitate simple class?

The Supreme Court this week and last issued many rulings, and though they were on different issues the decisions themselves had at least one thing in common: They seemed to reflect a lack of basic human modesty on the part of many of the justices... Local government can bulldoze Grandma's house because it's in the way of a future strip mall that will add more to the tax base? The Ten Commandments can appear on public land but not in a courthouse, but Moses, who received the Ten Commandments can appear in the frieze of the House but he'll be sandblasted off the Supreme Court? Or do I have that the other way around?

OK, so it's not an equal-opportunity bashing. But just because the majority of her examples are political opponents doesn't exempt most conservatives from the ego-inflationary horn-blowing of politics. Maybe that's why we liked George W. Bush: he was more interested in telling us what he saw in America than what he saw in the mirror. Of course, he's not immune to Washington Syndrome and (like Frist) his public persona has changed a great deal since arriving in this town. In fact, it's gotten so bad that I didn't even read his speech from yesterday, since the headlines are basically, "Bush Says He's Doing a Good Job".

Is there any hope in sight? I don't think so. But when in doubt, vote against the incumbant.

2005-06-29T03:00:00.000Z

Just Desserts Cafe

Reason #58 why New Hampshire rocks:

Could a hotel be built on the land owned by Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter? A new ruling by the Supreme Court which was supported by Justice Souter himself itself might allow it. A private developer is seeking to use this very law to build a hotel on Souter's land.

Justice Souter's vote in the "Kelo vs. City of New London" decision allows city governments to take land from one private owner and give it to another if the government will generate greater tax revenue or other economic benefits when the land is developed by the new owner... Logan Darrow Clements, faxed a request to Chip Meany the code enforcement officer of the Towne of Weare, New Hampshire seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road. This is the present location of Mr. Souter's home.

I, for one, would pay to stay in the Lost Liberty Hotel. Full story here, hat tip to Drudge.

2005-06-25T22:23:00.000Z

Red Hot

Quick stat: in their last dozen games, the Sox are 11-1 and have outscored opponents by a combined score of 84 to 28. That's an average game score of 7 to 2.3. Booyah!

2005-06-24T02:11:00.000Z

Test

Testing...1...2...3

In case you can't see it, the browser I'm on now is moving all the content of posts below the end of the right navbar. Chime in if you know how to fix this.

2005-06-23T23:08:00.000Z

Private Property Becomes Passe

The Supreme Court continued its headlong tumble down the slippery slope of abbrogating personal freedom. In the name of the Public Good, the Court ruled, municipalities can seize private homes and businesses and sell them off to developers for projects they deem more worthy.

The NYTimes assesses the damage:

In a bitter dissent, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor said the majority had created an ominous precedent. "The specter of condemnation hangs over all property," she wrote. "Nothing is to prevent the state from replacing any Motel 6 with a Ritz-Carlton, any home with a shopping mall, or any farm with a factory."

"Any property may now be taken for the benefit of another private property, but the fallout from this decision will not be random," she wrote. "The beneficiaries are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms.

"As for the victims," Justice O'Connor went on, "the government now has license to transfer property from those with fewer resources to those with more. The Founders cannot have intended this perverse result."

Justice Stevens was joined in the majority by Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer. Justice O'Connor's fellow dissenters were Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas...

But New London officials said the overall good that will come from private development in the Fort Trumbull area outweighs the rights of the individual homeowners. "We're pleased," Edward O'Connell, attorney for the New London Development Corporation, told The A.P.

Of course, this newfound coercive power of government won't be used egregiously in the immediate future. Instead, it serves to bolster the growing list of Powers being stockpiled by the Federal government at the expense of the Rights of the citizens.

For further reference, check out Rhinehold's post at Watchblog, and don't forget the last time the Court bogarted one of our rights, just two weeks ago.

2005-06-22T14:24:00.000Z

The Empire Strikes Back

If this wasn't against Tampa Bay, it would be amazing:

Robinson Cano and Jeter singled against Franklin Nunez, then Ruben Sierra plated Cano with an RBI fielder's choice. Sheffield battled from behind in the count against Nunez, singling to put runners at the corners.

A-Rod singled in Jeter, cutting the lead to 11-9. Travis Harper replaced Nunez, then Hideki Matsui doubled to right field, scoring Sheffield and moving Rodriguez to third. With their lead down to one, the Rays opted to intentionally walk Jason Giambi, giving them a chance at an inning-ending double play.

With the crowd of 40,241 chanting "Bernie! Bernie!" in unison, Williams had something else in mind, smoking the first pitch over Hollins' head in center field. All three runners scored on the triple, giving New York a 13-11 lead.

"It's where you want to be," Williams said. "That's what the game is all about -- being able to perform in situations like that. It was great that I was able to do it."

"That was big," Sheffield said. "Everybody jumped on the top step when Bernie hit that ball. You know how hard he works, so you want to see him come through."

Posada followed with a two-run homer, and after Jeter and Sierra singled, Sheffield drilled a three-run shot, his second of the game.

A-Rod and Matsui followed with solo shots, giving the Yankees back-to-back-to-back home runs off Harper, who was charged with nine runs in the frame. It was the 10th time in history that the Yankees hit three consecutive homers in a regular-season game, the first since May 8, 1994, against Boston. They also hit three straight homers in Game 1 of the 1997 American League Division Series, against Cleveland.

"When Sheffield hit the home run, then Matsui hit the home run, then A-Rod hit the home run, it was like, 'Wow, when is this going to end?' " Williams said. "It was a great thing to see."

When Russ Johnson finally flew out to right field to end the inning, the Yankees had scored 13 runs on 12 hits during their 35-minute turn at the plate.

"That eighth inning, it was a remarkable thing," Torre said. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. Everything we swung at was either a base hit or a home run."

"If there's a turning point in the season, this should be it," Williams said. "Hopefully, there will be more like this to come."

Yes, it's a turning point for the Yankees: from now on, they'll beat the cellar dwellers consistently, and turn around their 3-5 record against the Florida Folders.

2005-06-22T14:01:00.000Z

"Play It Again, Sam"

Hat tip to Drudge for linking to the AFI's Top 100 movie quotes. Here're a few:

2. "I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse," "The Godfather," 1972.
10. "You talking to me?" "Taxi Driver," 1976.
12. "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," "Apocalypse Now," 1979.
29. "You can't handle the truth!", "A Few Good Men," 1992.
32. "Round up the usual suspects," "Casablanca," 1942.
51. "You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?", "Dirty Harry," 1971.
61. "Say `hello' to my little friend!", "Scarface," 1983.
79. Striker: "Surely you can't be serious." Rumack: "I am serious ... and don't call me Shirley," "Airplane!", 1980.
85. "My precious," "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," 2002.
99. "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!", "The Wizard of Oz," 1939.

2005-06-21T15:47:00.000Z

Opposition Wins

The Lebanese opposition won all 28 of the seats contested in the last round of this month's parliamentary elections, giving them a small majority and propelling the erstwhile opposition into power. CSMonitor has a nice bullet-point breakdown.

2005-06-18T00:44:00.000Z

Errata

Steven Spielberg's Into the West series on TNT is pretty cool, but it isn't as well-polished as some of Spielberg's previous work. Some mistakes I noticed in the first forty-five minutes of tonight's episode:

A character advertizes California as "Shangri-La". That term, however, was coined in 1936 by James Hilton in The Lost Horizon.

In a scene set in 1837, a Crow Indian drops a Lakota from the saddle while both are riding at some 150 yards. The odds of that happening on the first shot with likely outdated ordnance are prohibitive.

The wagon train going west goes downstream along a large river (the Platte or Missouri, it would have to be) through the Prairies. Downstream on the prairie is, of course, east.

2005-06-17T15:34:00.000Z

Friday Buffet

Happy Friday, everybody. Who doesn't like a buffet to start their weekend?

TIME Mag is thinking like InstantReplay: they're asking around to figure out who the G.O.P. frontrunners are for 2008. One name I had forgotten was that of Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, who's been seen in New Hampshire at least once. He comes in on the Chatter Rankings with a 198, which would have placed him ahead of Hagel and Rice on Tuesday's charts.

In the same vein, the Concord Monitor says that conservative groups, headed by the Family Research Council, have been interviewing and screening G.O.P. hopefuls with an eye to creating a united conservative front that could triumph over the McCain/Giuliani split likely in the primaries.

Tom DeLay has been enjoying a quiet June. But it might be getting busier: Newsday got a scoop today that there may be a conflict of interest with Exxon-Mobil. It's a weak scandal, compared to the others, but it could be enough of a spark that it reignites the discussion of DeLay's scumminess. I have to say, the fact that the media did not utterly (and successfully) crucify him is proof positive that the conservative trend in news is a reality.

The latest economic news says that we have more of the same: strong growth without spending restraint. When one is in a hole, one should stop digging. Instead, we've set a new record with our first-quarter current account deficit. Hat tip to Drudge.

The EU's troubles just keep compounding. The current fight over agricultural funding is just a crude divide-the-pie problem as European countries fight like cats to steal money from each other. This shouldn't shake the EU's economic or political foundations, but it sure looks ugly coming on the heels of the "Non" and "Nee" votes.

Iran goes to the polls today. Check out Open Democracy's election headquarters, which has an election day log. Iran's blogfather, Hoder, thinks reformist Mostafa Moeen (also spelled 'Moin') will edge out establishment candidate (and former president) Hashemi Rafsanjani. Brooding Persian is one blogger who plans to sit the election out. Low turnout, says the CS Monitor, is the regime's greatest fear, which shows that they consider the election something of a sham themselves.

The Red Sox have won four in a row, and have the pleasure of hosting Pittsburgh tonight. They need to keep running it up against the weak teams for the rest of June, and then take it up a notch to battle it out with Baltimore and New York on each side of the All-Star Break.

2005-06-16T17:25:00.000Z

Librarians, Libertarians

In a good sign today, the Republican Congress is pulling back from a Patriot Act provision that would allow the FBI to snoop into book purchases and library checkouts. This was an unnecessary provision (it was never used, fortunately), and its reversal is a good sign that Congress is willing to discern between the baby and the bathwater in the War on Terror.

2005-06-16T16:41:00.000Z

How 750 Students Saved Florida

Check out my latest post on school choice at Watchblog, as well as the source article, an OpinionJournal editorial by activist Clint Bolick. He's got some astounding numbers that you need to see.

2005-06-16T14:52:00.000Z

Personality 1, Character 0

David Brooks correctly diagnoses the cause of the degradation of middle-class popular culture as the victory of personality and "self" over character.

The middlebrow impulse in America dates at least to Ralph Waldo Emerson and the belief that how one spends one's leisure time is intensely important. Time spent with consequential art uplifts character, and time spent with dross debases it...

Middlebrow culture was killed in the late 50's and 60's, and the mortal blows came from opposite directions. The intellectuals launched assaults on what they took to be middlebrow institutions, attacks that are so vicious they take your breath away...

At the same time, pop culture changed. It was no longer character-oriented; it was personality-oriented. Readers felt less of a need to go outside themselves to absorb works of art as a means of self-improvement. They were more interested in exploring and being true to the precious flower of their own individual selves.

Thus the need for Club Infinite Knowledge, InstantReplay, and the other attempts we make to recapture culture and depth. Thus the appeal of the Star Wars ethos, where self-sacrifice is the highest virtue.

The Fifties had plenty of "pop culture": greased hair, muscle cars, and rock 'n' roll. But those things were kept in proper perspective and in the domain of youth and entertainment. But the Fifties also had Animal Farm, the G.I. Bill and Brown v. Board of Education. We have the State of California v. Michael Jackson.

2005-06-15T18:30:00.000Z

Free-For-All 2008: A Tale of Two Virginians

Among the candidates who could be described as "middle-of-the-party" and "electable", two Virginians have stood out to pundits. Governor Mark Warner is the Democrat, and he has announced plans to form an exploratory PAC to raise money toward a possible presidential run in 2008. His single allowed term as governor expires at the end of this year, so I have my doubts as to whether he can keep himself on the radar screen during 2006 and early '07. Also, a Republican win in this year's gubernatorial would seriously undermine his credentials as a winner, says the Richmond Times-Dispatch, even though it's his number two, Lieutenant Governor Timothy Kaine, who is actually running for the top spot.

Warner could and might challenge the other Virginian, Republican George Allen, for the latter's senate seat in 2006. A Warner win would essentially take both out of contention for '08; Allen would be a loser, and Warner would be too new to the Senate to justify spending his first two years there making a serious run at the presidency. However, Warner is unlikely to succeed against Allen, say both the Roanoke Times and Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA), and the long odds will probably scare away Warner, as a loss would effectively kill his presidential plans.

More on Allen, who was a Virginia governor in the 1990's: He made his big splash in the pre-race by winning a National Journal straw poll of pundits in April. Allen has down-home style and a penchant for football analogies (his dad coached the 'Skins; the Roanoke Times article includes one such gridiron reference), and maintains his street cred with the GOP's conservative base. Allen picked up John Thune's political advisor last January, a hard-hitting operative whom Slate compares to Karl Rove. Newsweek, meanwhile, compares Allen to Reagan. Allen's On The Issues bullet points are unsurprising; he's basically a Reagan/GWBush Republican: pro-business, anti-regulation, anti-abortion, and weak on the budget. His strong suit is executive experience, and he's credited with founding Virginia's effective student testing as governor.

Here's how the Virginians stack up against the rest of the field in this month's Chatter Rankings:

Rank	Candidate	Chatter	Rank Change
R.1	Sen. Bill Frist	1,740	0
R.2	Sen. John McCain	1,540	+3
R.3	Sen. George Allen	696	+6
R.4	Newt Gingrich	445	+2
R.5	Gov. Jeb Bush	390	+3*
R.6	Gov. Mitt Romney	380	+4
R.7	V.P. Dick Cheney	371	+1
R.8	Rudy Giuliani	285	-6
R.9	Gov. George Pataki	202	-6
R.10	Secy. Condoleezza Rice	160	-6
R.11	Sen. Chuck Hagel	82	-4
...............	...............................................	.......................	...............
D.1	Sen. Hillary Clinton	1,580	0
D.2	Howard Dean	785	+2
D.3	Sen. John Kerry	726	-1
D.4	Sen. John Edwards	490	+1
D.5	Gov. Mark Warner	370	NEW**
D.6	Gov. Bill Richardson	270	0
D.7	Sen. Evan Bayh	177	N.R.***
D.8	Sen. Joseph Biden	165	-5

Notes: The Chatter Rankings are created by searching each candidate's name plus "2008" in the Google News database.
* Jeb Bush was not ranked last month, but would have placed 8th; his change is calculated from that point.
** Mark Warner was not tested last month.
*** Evan Bayh was tested but did not qualify last month.
This month's tested-but-not-qualifying list includes Russell Feingold, Colin Powell, Judd Gregg, Barack Obama, Al Sharpton, and John Ashcroft.
Chuck Hagel has fallen to probationary status: another month or two in the hole and he's out.

Among the obvious changes on this month's chart are the fall of the New York Republicans and of the foreign policy experts, Biden and Hagel. Governors are up in general, but so are the two Republican Senators who are emerging as frontrunners, Allen and McCain. Everything I've read indicates that Hillary has a virtual lock on the Democratic nomination, but a lot can change in three years, and that's why we won't stop looking to see who's poised to fill the void if she steps out of the race for some reason.

Howard Dean is wildly over-ranked this month; most of his press is negative and pertains to his too-high-profile position as Chief Democrat. Likewise Bill Frist, who emerged from the filibuster fight looking both petulent and ineffective. However, neither can be counted out, because Americans have short memories, and most Americans aren't even watching politics this year.

Please search your own candidates - Ali Baba found my ommission of Jeb Bush last month.

2005-06-14T19:03:00.000Z

Debt Comes Due

President Bush knew he was incurring a political debt when he coopted the Pakistani dictatorship of Pervez Musharraf into his coalition against terrorism. Now part of that debt is coming due.

Musharraf is only a step above Saddam Hussein in the rankings of autocratic odiousness, and Nicholas Kristof unleashes a scathing torrent in Musharraf's direction on the NYTimes editorial page today. He does so not without good reason: his friend Mukhtaran Bibi, a victim of tribal "justice" turned human rights activist, has been kidnapped by the government and prevented from leaving the country or contacting anyone outside.

According to Dawn, a Karachi newspaper, the government took this step, "fearing that she might malign Pakistan's image." Excuse me, but Ms. Mukhtaran, a symbol of courage and altruism, is the best hope for Pakistan's image. The threat to Pakistan's image comes from President Musharraf for all this thuggish behavior.

Indeed. And props to Kristof for using his bully pulpit with such unmitigated zeal for truth, justice, and individual rights. As for Mr. Bush, his debt is indeed due. Either he alienates Musharraf by following Kristof's recommendation of standing up for Ms. Mukhtaran, or he has to swallow his vomit and turn a blind eye on a flagrant abuse of power.

2005-06-13T21:30:00.000Z

Victory For the Racially Confused

Now that Michael Jackson has been cleared of all charges, only one question remains: who will actually believe the verdict, blacks, whites, or only the racially confused?

2005-06-11T23:58:00.000Z

City of God

Bishop Augustine of Hippo in his own words:

Those philosophers who regard virtue as the ultimate human good try to make those others feel ashamed of themselves who think highly enough of the virtues, but who subordinate them to physical pleasure, making pleasure an end in itself and virtues merely a means to an end. The do this by picturing Pleasure enthroned like a high-born quess, surrounded by ministering virtues who warch her every nod, ready to do whatever she bids them. Thus, she bids Prudence to examine carefully in what way Pleasure may be both supreme and safe. She commands Justice to render whatever services she can in the interest of friendships which are necessary for bodily comfort, and to avoid doing wrong, lest Pleasure might be jeopardized by the breaking of laws. She bids Fortitude keep her mistress, Pleasure, very much in mind, so that, when the body suffers some affliction, short of death, the memory of former pleasures may mitigate the pangs of present pain. She orders Temperance to take just so much of food or of other pleasant things that health may not be endangered by any excess...

Thus, the virtues with all the glory of their dignity are made to minister to Pleasure, like the servants of an imperious but ill-famed mistress. The Stoics are right when they say that no picture could be more ugly and ignominious and difficult for good people to look at than this. But, I do not see how the pciture becomes much more beautiful if we imagine the virtues ministering to human glory. For, if Glory is not exactly a lovely lady, she has a certain vanity and inanity about her. Certainly, it ill becomes the gravity and solidity of the virtues to be her servants; so that, apart from pleasing men and their vainglory, Prudence should make no provision, Justice should share nothing, Fortitude tolerate nothing, Temperance moderate nothing. Ugly as this picture is, it fits those self-complacent and seeming philosophers who, in the guise of despising glory, pay no heed to what others think. Their virtue, if they have any, is just as much a slave to glory, though in a different way. For what is the self-complacent man but a slave to his own self-praise[?]

It is different with the man who believes in, hopes in, loves, and truly worships God.

City of God, Book V, Chapter 20

Re-read this passage until you identify the three types of men who are condemned by Saint Augustine.