Guts
These monks have it.
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October 31, 2007
Presidential?
Recession questions, blame game and the common man
Some great comments in response to this post by former Economist editor Bill Emmott:
The real question is how bad the American recession is going to be. Economists’ forecasts — such as those from the IMF last week — so far suggest a slowdown rather than a true recession. Maybe that’s possible, but to me that will be a surprise.
The real question is how bad the American recession is going to be. Economists’ forecasts — such as those from the IMF last week — so far suggest a slowdown rather than a true recession. Maybe that’s possible, but to me that will be a surprise.
HRC stumbles, Edwards gets high marks
Dan Balz rips HRC's performance in last night's debate:
Tuesday's debate in Philadelphia shifted the focus of the Democratic campaign from strength and experience to questions of trust and character. The result was the weakest performance Clinton has delivered in any debate this year and a rare instance in which her longer-term vulnerabilities were very much on display.
Whenever a front-runner stumbles, it's an important moment in a presidential campaign. That was all the more the case Tuesday because Clinton has so often dominated the debates with crisp, authoritative answers and a generally unflappable style. By the end of the two-hour engagement in Philadelphia, she looked and sounded as if she had had enough.
Cillizza's winners and losers.
Why are students being attacked with knives at NCA&T?
This is real unfortunate and uncool.
I've been to NCA&T several times for events and have always found the students there friendly and welcoming.
I hope they catch the people that attacked these young men.
I hope the young men, twin brothers, can overcome this distraction and hurdle and move forward with their college education.
I've been to NCA&T several times for events and have always found the students there friendly and welcoming.
I hope they catch the people that attacked these young men.
I hope the young men, twin brothers, can overcome this distraction and hurdle and move forward with their college education.
Songwriter series to begin in Reidsville
Here is something interesting I came across via the Downtown Reidsville website:
Second Saturday Songwriter’s Soiree
Nov. 10th, 7:00-9:00
The Gallery, 217 SW Market St.
Featuring Jonny Colley
Admission $5
The Fine Arts Festival Association’s (FAFA) mission is a simple one – to celebrate and promote all of the arts:
visual, performing, written and spoken. The first Songwriter’s Soiree will feature Jonny Colley who composes and performs his own music. The FAFA
hopes to host more cultural events at The Gallery, showcasing the arts and enriching our lives.
Offer your support for the arts; call Tara at 336-349-2060
Obama, Edwards team up on HRC in Dem debate
NY Times has 111 minutes of video from last night's Dem debate, complete with scrolling transcript.
Check it out.
Good analysis from the New Republic.
October 30, 2007
Fueling their buying power
With oil settling in at a record high again yesterday, the WaPo takes a look at what oil rich developing nations are doing with their deluge of cash.
The answer? Hoarding it in sate-run investments, which is fueling a redux of late 19th Century economic nationalism:
In the past, these funds had largely been content to hold safe, low-yielding investments such as U.S. Treasurys. Now, with the expectation that Treasury yields could be low for years and the recent weakening in the U.S. dollar, they are seeking higher returns and taking bigger risks.
Some are buying stakes in key industries in the United States and Europe, including banks, ports, stock exchanges and energy companies. Others are looking beyond opportunities in the West, shoring up Asian banks and building Africa's infrastructure.
The new, more aggressive investing strategy is reigniting nationalistic sentiments around the world. Germany has been alarmed at Russia's move to acquire stakes in pipeline and utility companies. New Zealand opposed an effort by Dubai investors to take over a major airport.
October 29, 2007
Help open up the ballot to more parties
Ed Cone wrote a column Sunday about the Libertarian Party's candidate for governor.
I probably wouldn't vote for him, but I firmly believe we need more parties on the ballot.
The DemoPublicans are just about as bankrupt as can be, with the exception of a couple of bright stars.
There is a petition available to get the LP back on the ballot.
I believe it is unfair to deny them ballot access based on percentage of votes received.
Democracy is not about popularity. It's about ideas and hard work.
Print out the petition and get some signatures. It's democracy in action.
I probably wouldn't vote for him, but I firmly believe we need more parties on the ballot.
The DemoPublicans are just about as bankrupt as can be, with the exception of a couple of bright stars.
There is a petition available to get the LP back on the ballot.
I believe it is unfair to deny them ballot access based on percentage of votes received.
Democracy is not about popularity. It's about ideas and hard work.
Print out the petition and get some signatures. It's democracy in action.
Note to Dems
Please don't put this man back in the White House. Can you imagine the nonsense that will dominate right-wing punditry if he is allowed to roam the halls of the White House while HRC sits in the Oval Office?
All I'm asking is that you spare us and let us move away from dynasty mode.
This is a lil' more hard core.
October 26, 2007
Looking for "heelsrus2@yahoo.com"
If you know who belongs to the email address "heelsrus2@yahoo.com" please email me or leave the information in the comments section below. My email is jeffreyhsykes@gmail.com
The way it should be
Good times ahead on Tobacco Road with UNC, Puke and NC State all ranked in the preseason Top 25.
A resurgent Clemson program is just outside the Top 25, meaning new battles in the ACC.
UNC comes in at number one, followed closely by UCLA and Memphis in a virtual three-way for the top spot.
Duke is 11th and NCSU is 24th.
Can't wait.
A resurgent Clemson program is just outside the Top 25, meaning new battles in the ACC.
UNC comes in at number one, followed closely by UCLA and Memphis in a virtual three-way for the top spot.
Duke is 11th and NCSU is 24th.
Can't wait.
October 25, 2007
Indie song of the day - Take it All by Bats Brew
I've said before that some of the best music being made today is user generated and being posted for the crowd.
I was revisiting the songs forum at Cakewalk today and came across this tune, Take it All, by a band named Bats Brew.
Its a crisp, guitar driven song that starts with a clean acoustic mood a la Yes, and then proceeds into riff heavy rock.
Great sound.
(press the blue arrow to play the song on their website.)
I was revisiting the songs forum at Cakewalk today and came across this tune, Take it All, by a band named Bats Brew.
Its a crisp, guitar driven song that starts with a clean acoustic mood a la Yes, and then proceeds into riff heavy rock.
Great sound.
(press the blue arrow to play the song on their website.)
"Drifting lower every day"
It must be hard being Stewart Bryan. He's watched his $45 million stock empire in Media General dwindle to about $15 million as the stock has fallen from 72 to 27 in just over two years. This fancy site puts MEG actual stock value at just below $9 per. That would take Stewy's holdings down to a paltry $5 million.
Here is your typical exchange on the finance message boards at Yahoo. Notice how the second investor is anticipating huge revenues from political ads to fuel the stock next year. That was a mainstay of the annual MEG corporate videos we had to watch each year, with Stewart and Marshall telling us how well we would do in even numbered years because of the Olympics and political ad revenue in the broadcast division.
"This POS will fall right back to the near term support of $26.80. I really don't think MEG management will spin off the newspaper biz. Ask yourself this one question.
Has MEG management EVER done anything to increase shareholder value? EVER? I can't remember. Unless of course you want to consider the stock buyback at much higher prices and on credit. I really would not consider that to be in favor of shareholders.
Face it people. This is just an old stodgy newspaper company. Two tier system that favors the old stodgy owner and friends. No reason to EVER believe they will do something to help out class A shareholders. Even if they did spin off the newspaper. I see maybe $34 at the most. Then what?
MEG management missed the boat a long time ago on shareholder value. I just feal sorry for my old friends that have worked their entire life in this hole and now they get handed back about half of their retirement savings for trusting in MEG management. Really sad!" Blotter Blades
"Blades...if MEG drifts lower Tues and Weds on low volume towards $26.80 support considering buying 1000 or 1500. Low volume pullback before earning is a high odds indicator that MEG will rally strong when earning are released Thurs.
Christmas is coming and next year are Olympics from China on NBC and record amounts raised for the presidential primaries and election in Nov. The ad pie is being split up and broadcast will see a falling share as cable, satellite and the net take a bigger bite, but political ads will be astronomical next year." Bobby Jack Jones
Heels tightening up the laces for '07-'08
Something familiar is just around the corner in Chapel Hill this year. We all know about Tyler and Tywon and Wayne, but the smart money is on Deon and Alex having a coming out party this season.
Deon made news this summer averaging 6.1 boards and 1.4 block for the undefeated U19 Team USA, which won its world championship.
I've seen the Tar Heels ranked No. 1 in preseason polls and picked to win the ACC. Nothing new there. What is new is that Brandon Wright's early exit mean that Ol' Roy is left without any recruits this year. That means only 13 players on the roster, and extra scholarships for next year.
Bobby and Wayne will have to hold down the outside shooting, because, well, there is nobody else.
Note to Gerald Henderson: We haven't forgot about you.
Note to everybody else: If you think you can take out Tyler and beat the Heels think again. Deon and Alex are pretty big boys as well.
Deon made news this summer averaging 6.1 boards and 1.4 block for the undefeated U19 Team USA, which won its world championship.
I've seen the Tar Heels ranked No. 1 in preseason polls and picked to win the ACC. Nothing new there. What is new is that Brandon Wright's early exit mean that Ol' Roy is left without any recruits this year. That means only 13 players on the roster, and extra scholarships for next year.
Bobby and Wayne will have to hold down the outside shooting, because, well, there is nobody else.
Note to Gerald Henderson: We haven't forgot about you.
Note to everybody else: If you think you can take out Tyler and beat the Heels think again. Deon and Alex are pretty big boys as well.
October 24, 2007
Local man claims government officials sending racial emails
Reidsville's Richard Moore is claiming on his web site that he has received copies of a racially offensive email (update 10-30-07: In true fashion, Moore has changed the link.) sent from one Rockingham County official to another. Moore has redacted the email header so as to leave the receiver and sender anonymous. (Here one can view some of the other places where this particular internet joke has reared its head.)
I'm not sure Moore's motivation, but it seems to me curious that he would publish the offensive material, yet hide the identity of the offenders. After all this is a man who takes freedom of speech very seriously and has challenged local governments time and again for abridging free speech.
I guess he has his reasons.
The emails were sent and received sometime between Oct. 7, Oct. 17 and Oct. 22, according to information contained in the footer of each email published on his site. I believe I first saw it on his site Monday.
In the past, Moore has had no problem printing privileged information secreted to him. In fact, he was so zealous to print a copy of my 11-year-old police arrest record, that he forgot to redact the NCIC user id and terminal id when he printed it in his newspaper, thus causing the sheriff's office much consternation when they discovered one of their deputies illegally searched and printed my criminal record on an internal departmental computer and sent it to Mr. Moore in violation of state law. That deputy lost their job because of Mr. Moore's rush to judgment.
I guess that was important to him.
Racism and bigotry are quite prevalent in Reidsville and Rockingham County. Some folks are opposing it by dedicating themselves to ministry, education and building relationships across racial lines. I applaud all of those efforts.
I am only one person. I only have one voice. I chose to use that voice to say enough with the secret institutional bigotry in this rural community. Enough with the winks and nudges.
If a government official in this county, or a government employee in this county, whether it be city, county or state affiliated, is disseminating that content, they need to be exposed and questioned as to their intentions.
Let's not forget about Judge William Daisy in Guilford County.
If the local media, regional media and the local and state NAACP think this is irrelevant then that is on them.
I've used my voice. Where is yours?
I'm not sure Moore's motivation, but it seems to me curious that he would publish the offensive material, yet hide the identity of the offenders. After all this is a man who takes freedom of speech very seriously and has challenged local governments time and again for abridging free speech.
I guess he has his reasons.
The emails were sent and received sometime between Oct. 7, Oct. 17 and Oct. 22, according to information contained in the footer of each email published on his site. I believe I first saw it on his site Monday.
In the past, Moore has had no problem printing privileged information secreted to him. In fact, he was so zealous to print a copy of my 11-year-old police arrest record, that he forgot to redact the NCIC user id and terminal id when he printed it in his newspaper, thus causing the sheriff's office much consternation when they discovered one of their deputies illegally searched and printed my criminal record on an internal departmental computer and sent it to Mr. Moore in violation of state law. That deputy lost their job because of Mr. Moore's rush to judgment.
I guess that was important to him.
Racism and bigotry are quite prevalent in Reidsville and Rockingham County. Some folks are opposing it by dedicating themselves to ministry, education and building relationships across racial lines. I applaud all of those efforts.
I am only one person. I only have one voice. I chose to use that voice to say enough with the secret institutional bigotry in this rural community. Enough with the winks and nudges.
If a government official in this county, or a government employee in this county, whether it be city, county or state affiliated, is disseminating that content, they need to be exposed and questioned as to their intentions.
Let's not forget about Judge William Daisy in Guilford County.
If the local media, regional media and the local and state NAACP think this is irrelevant then that is on them.
I've used my voice. Where is yours?
Billy Jones for Mayor of Greensboro
I get about 40 unique visits a day from Greensboro, so for those readers please take a look at the write-in campaign for Bill Jones for Mayor of Greensboro.
I've exchanged email with Mr. Jones a few times in the last couple of years and he seems to be a level-headed gentleman. He has a keen idea for energy conservation and he's a poet to boot.
Surely that's better than another developer or a 14-year veteran of your city council.
Good luck Billy.
Migrant labor sends $300 billion to Third World
Ed sent us to this site for a story about GWB's spending habits, but I found an even better story while looking around.
Seems migrants (or immigrants) around the world are sending some $300 billion in cash back home to their families in the Third World.
*The first-ever study of global remittances found that migrants sent more than $300 billion home to their families last year, with India edging out Mexico as the top recipient.
India got $24.5 billion, while Mexico received $24.2 billion. China was third with $21 billion, according to the United Nations agency that released the report Wednesday.
"Walls are not stopping them; patrol boats are not stopping them," said Kevin Cleaver, the assistant president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the Rome-based U.N. agency that did the study. "I was surprised at the magnitude of these numbers." *
That's a good aspect of globalization and shows the true interconnectivity of the world's economy.
"The study estimates that 150 million migrants, most of them in Western Europe and North America, regularly send money to their mostly poor relatives in developing countries. About 10 percent of the world's population depends in some way on the money migrants send to their families, most of which is used to buy basic goods and services."
Now I wonder if those folks use that money to buy American made products? Wait. Do we make any consumer products in America anymore? How is it that communist China is conquering the world with consumerism?
October 23, 2007
Romney calls bin Laden "Barack Obama" twice in SC speech
On the same day that Mitt Romney refers to bin Laden as Barack Obama at least twice in a speech before a Chamber of Commerce meeting in South Carolina, the current Governor of Massachusets, Deval Patrick, publicly endorses Obama for the Democratic nomination.
More than 9,000 people attended a rally for Obama in Boston tonight.
Obama will be in Durham on Nov. 1 as part of his Countdown to Change.
Rockingham County rivers flirt with record lows
Streamflows in Rockingham County are flirting with near record lows according to the US Geological Survey:
For the Mayo River near Price (West of Eden) the lowest recorded stream flow is 82 cubic feet per second (cfs) in 1932. The most recent rate recorded today was 91. The median is 179.
The Dan River near Wentworth is recording a current flow of 242 cfs. The record low is 226 set in 2002. The mean is 576.
More from the AP on the state's water crises.
For the Mayo River near Price (West of Eden) the lowest recorded stream flow is 82 cubic feet per second (cfs) in 1932. The most recent rate recorded today was 91. The median is 179.
The Dan River near Wentworth is recording a current flow of 242 cfs. The record low is 226 set in 2002. The mean is 576.
More from the AP on the state's water crises.
What is Almond?
The Reidsville Review quotes an entity called "Almond" in this story about Reidsville's water sales to Greensboro in time of drought.
This Almond thing has a lot to say and seems to have intimate knowledge of the situation, but one is left not knowing who or what this Almond is.
I've heard, in the past, that Almond Joy has nuts, but Mounds don't. I'm not sure if this is related to the Almond in the Review's story or not.
This Almond thing has a lot to say and seems to have intimate knowledge of the situation, but one is left not knowing who or what this Almond is.
I've heard, in the past, that Almond Joy has nuts, but Mounds don't. I'm not sure if this is related to the Almond in the Review's story or not.
A woman worthy of admiration
I'm just gonna go ahead and say that I really admire Benazir Bhutto. I first became aware of her in the late 80s. I saw a picture of her in the newspaper climbing down off a bus in a sea of people as she returned to Pakistan the first time to run for PM.Her father is revered as the best ever politician in Pakistan. He was murdered, as is often the case of popular leaders in third world countries, by military and police thugs in 1979.
Twice she has been elected, but removed under suspicious circumstances of "corruption" Wikipedia says:
"The criticism against Benazir came largely from the Punjabi elites and powerful landlord families who opposed Bhutto as she pushed Pakistan into nationalist reform, opposing feudals, whom she blamed for the destabilization of Pakistan."
Likely story from power elites.
Anyway. The main reason I admire her is she has the strength of steel in her if she has the guts to stand up for democracy and equality in one of the most violent countries and regions of the world, where women are treated like dogs and freedom is but like mist among the winds of military and autocratic power.
She survived a bombing of her motorcade last week. (Serious pics here.)Let's hope she can bring some commonsense rational to this area of the world.
An indecent proposal
WaPo:
The much-anticipated Mexico aid plan, which is included in the president's $46 billion supplemental budget request for war funding, would pay for helicopters, canine units, communications gear and inspection equipment, the State Department said.
The program also would include training and technical advice on vetting new police officers, and case-management software to track investigations in a nation where drug kingpins have infiltrated many state and local governments and infighting among drug traffickers has cost more than 4,000 lives in the past 22 months.
Wouldn't we be better off investing $500 million in pre-k programs to give children of all backgrounds a solid foundation that might keep them focused on their future success in later years and give them the strength to laugh at crack dealers and pot pushers when they reach the age when they are most susceptible to veering off the straight and narrow?
Just saying'.
The much-anticipated Mexico aid plan, which is included in the president's $46 billion supplemental budget request for war funding, would pay for helicopters, canine units, communications gear and inspection equipment, the State Department said.
The program also would include training and technical advice on vetting new police officers, and case-management software to track investigations in a nation where drug kingpins have infiltrated many state and local governments and infighting among drug traffickers has cost more than 4,000 lives in the past 22 months.
Wouldn't we be better off investing $500 million in pre-k programs to give children of all backgrounds a solid foundation that might keep them focused on their future success in later years and give them the strength to laugh at crack dealers and pot pushers when they reach the age when they are most susceptible to veering off the straight and narrow?
Just saying'.
October 21, 2007
First gen American wins La. governor's house
Somebody pinch me. This story says a 36-y/o GOPer won the governor's house in Louisiana. Louisiana? Guss they don't blame Republicans for mishandling the aftermath of Katrina. (Which btw was mishandled, in a criminal way, IMHO)U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal easily defeated 11 opponents and became the state's first nonwhite governor since Reconstruction, decades after his parents moved to the state from India to pursue the American dream.
Jindal, a 36-year-old Republican, will be the nation's youngest governor. He had 53 percent with 625,036 votes with about 92 percent of the vote tallied. It was more than enough to win Saturday's election outright and avoid a Nov. 17 runoff.
I wonder how the pundits are gonna interpret this vis a vis the national election in 2008?
Graham, Orr, Smith: What's a GOPer to do?
Binker has a splendid wrap up of the state GOPers vying to get trounced in the 2008 election for governor. (I doubt anybody stops the Richard Moore express)
Bob Orr comes across as thoughtful and someone to look at. He would likely get devoured by the state Dem legislative machine.
Graham and Smith, as Mark describes, come across as cliches.
I'm not real impressed with Smith's background as a businessman, lawyer or state senator. So I will be looking hard at Graham and Orr.
But if things keep going the way they have since Newt left congress, I'll likely be an independent by the time the general election rolls around.
Bob Orr comes across as thoughtful and someone to look at. He would likely get devoured by the state Dem legislative machine.
Graham and Smith, as Mark describes, come across as cliches.
I'm not real impressed with Smith's background as a businessman, lawyer or state senator. So I will be looking hard at Graham and Orr.
But if things keep going the way they have since Newt left congress, I'll likely be an independent by the time the general election rolls around.
October 20, 2007
Song I dig - Almost Cut My Hair
David Crosby (CSNY)
Almost Cut My Hair
Deja Vu
Almost cut my hair
It happened just the other day
It was getting kind of long
I could have said it was in my way
But I didn't and I wonder why
I feel like letting my freak flag fly
And I feel like I owe it to someone
Must be because I had the flu for Christmas
And I'm not feeling up to par
It increases my paranoia
Like looking into a mirror and seeing a police car
But I'm not giving in an inch to fear
Cos I promised myself this year
I feel like I owe it to someone
When I finally get myself together
I'm gonna get down in some of that sweet summer weather
I'm going to find a space inside to laugh
Separate the wheat from the chaff
Cos I feel like I owe it, yeah
Said I feel like I owe it, yeah
You know I feel---- like I owe it yeah to someone
October 18, 2007
"Ceaselessly, Star-crossed you and me"
When I grow up I want to be just like David Gilmour.
(Graham Nash and David Crosby singing back-up, in case the mind blowing guitar work isn't enough for you.)
Bond as punishment
Somebody help me out here.
This guy steals a weed eater from Stoneville and gets put under the jail with a $100,000 bond.
This guy robs a man in a park in High Point, chasing him down while brandishing a handgun, which he then uses to split the guys head open with after tackling him to the ground. The wound from the blow requires 12 staples and 12 stitches to close.
His bond?
Five-thousand dollars. Which means if his friends come up with $750 he can get a bondsman and walk.
WTF?
This guy steals a weed eater from Stoneville and gets put under the jail with a $100,000 bond.
This guy robs a man in a park in High Point, chasing him down while brandishing a handgun, which he then uses to split the guys head open with after tackling him to the ground. The wound from the blow requires 12 staples and 12 stitches to close.
His bond?
Five-thousand dollars. Which means if his friends come up with $750 he can get a bondsman and walk.
WTF?
October 13, 2007
Is who owns the media as important as how it is filtered?
Much time has been spent debating the bias of the media, print media's future and the impact of the web on news reporting. In paying attention to the discussion my ears tend to perk up when it comes to left/right broadsides across various media (print,web, broadcast.)
So today my ears perked up when I saw David Horowitz on C-Span. I watched his program early in the day and spent much of the evening following up on Horowitz and his anti-thesis, Noam Chomsky.
It was while reviewing Chomsky that I discovered his Propaganda Model of mass media. I find it interesting that a rabid leftist such as Chomsky has developed a model that pretty much reflects the right-wing argument of media bias.
The model attempts to explain such a systemic bias in terms of structural economic causes rather than a conspiracy of people. It argues the bias derives from five "filters" that all published news must pass through which combine to systematically distort news coverage.
The first filter, ownership, notes that most major media outlets are owned by large corporations.
The second, funding, notes that the outlets derive the majority of their funding from advertising, not readers. Thus, since they are profit-oriented businesses selling a product — readers and audiences — to other businesses (advertisers), the model would expect them to publish news which would reflect the desires and values of those businesses.
In addition, the news media are dependent on government institutions and major businesses with strong biases as sources (the third filter) for much of their information.
Flak, the fourth filter, refers to the various pressure groups which go after the media for supposed bias and so on when they go out of line.
Norms, the fifth filter, refer to the common conceptions shared by those in the profession of journalism. (Note: in the original text, published in 1988, the fifth filter was "anticommunism". However, with the fall of the Soviet Union, it has been broadened to allow for shifts in public opinion).
Have you stopped to think why they are coming and what we would do without them?
Here at Apriori Concepts the driving philosophy is to exude our gut instincts, to go with the discernible moral right that flows from within, free of much of today's drivel and bias that prances about as truth.
So it has been with the immigration debate, which I have engaged in a few times in recent weeks as my level of tolerance for American bigotry has reached its limit.
The underlying reasons for my outspokenness have been two fold. One, I fear that the easiest path to an illegal immigrant free country would be a ratcheted up police state, which I oppose in its entirety. The second is the overwhelming instinct I have that welcoming new Americans who work hard and want to create a better life for their offspring is somehow fundamental to the American experience.
So imagine my delight, while researching the issue today, that I run across this article released this month from the Cato Institute:
Low-skilled immigrants come here for the same reasons our forebears came: family ties and economic opportunity. Our economy continues to create hundreds of thousands of new jobs each year for lower-skilled workers in such important sectors as retail, hospitality, cleaning, landscaping, food preparation, light manufacturing and agriculture. At the same time the number of Americans who have traditionally filled such jobs — those without a high school diploma — continues to shrink.
Yet our immigration system offers no legal channel for peaceful, hardworking immigrants to enter the United States legally to fill even those jobs that fewer and fewer Americans want.
Efforts to enforce the current law have failed miserably. For the past two decades, we have dramatically increased spending on border enforcement, built walls for miles into the desert and raided restaurants and chicken-processing plants from coast to coast. Despite ramped-up enforcement, the number of people living in the United States without legal documents continues to grow.
Conservatives as traditionalists
David Brooks on the chasm among conservatives:
To put it bluntly, over the past several years, the G.O.P. has made ideological choices that offend conservatism's Burkean roots. This may seem like an airy-fairy thing that does nothing more than provoke a few dissenting columns from William F. Buckley, George F. Will and Andrew Sullivan. But suburban, Midwestern and many business voters are dispositional conservatives more than creedal conservatives. They care about order, prudence and balanced budgets more than transformational leadership and perpetual tax cuts. It is among these groups that G.O.P. support is collapsing.
October 11, 2007
Burglars set Reidsville business on fire
I haven't seen this in the local media, so I did some asking and came up with this:
Two men broke into Williams Trull Co. on Scales Street in Reidsville on Oct. 4. For reasons not known, they set the building on fire.
According to police, a patron at nearby Turks Sports Bar saw a commotion at Williams Trull about 11:30 pm and called police. Police responded and saw two men leaving the scene. After a brief foot chase, police apprehended two men.
Meanwhile, the fire department responded and found heavy smoke upon arrival. After putting out the flames, firefighters had to do extensive overhaul to the building to look for hotspots. That means tearing out walls and peeling back the roof.
The business is currently closed. Calls to the owner have not been returned.
Police arrested two men from Greensboro at the scene and charged them with felony breaking and entering and willfully burning a store.
Arrested were Lelon David Williamson, 27, of 703 Sykes Ave in Greensboro and Kenneth Eugene Sports Jr., 23, of 58 Garibaldi Place in Greensboro. Sports was also charged with possession of cocaine.
This incident is bad on several levels, but one that stands out to me is that Williams Trull owner Billy Puckett has worked very hard and spent a lot of money to make that business look attractive and remain a vibrant part of the city's economy. The company has been in business for decades selling heavy farm equipment. Let's hope he stays in business for decades to come.
Two men broke into Williams Trull Co. on Scales Street in Reidsville on Oct. 4. For reasons not known, they set the building on fire.
According to police, a patron at nearby Turks Sports Bar saw a commotion at Williams Trull about 11:30 pm and called police. Police responded and saw two men leaving the scene. After a brief foot chase, police apprehended two men.
Meanwhile, the fire department responded and found heavy smoke upon arrival. After putting out the flames, firefighters had to do extensive overhaul to the building to look for hotspots. That means tearing out walls and peeling back the roof.
The business is currently closed. Calls to the owner have not been returned.
Police arrested two men from Greensboro at the scene and charged them with felony breaking and entering and willfully burning a store.
Arrested were Lelon David Williamson, 27, of 703 Sykes Ave in Greensboro and Kenneth Eugene Sports Jr., 23, of 58 Garibaldi Place in Greensboro. Sports was also charged with possession of cocaine.
This incident is bad on several levels, but one that stands out to me is that Williams Trull owner Billy Puckett has worked very hard and spent a lot of money to make that business look attractive and remain a vibrant part of the city's economy. The company has been in business for decades selling heavy farm equipment. Let's hope he stays in business for decades to come.
How should we treat the foreigners among us?
A few bloggers have been detailing the rifts developing in the traditional Republican constituency. This recent court ruling on employing "illegal" immigrants further highlights that trend.
President Bush made the effort the centerpiece of a re-energized enforcement drive against illegal immigration in August after the Senate rejected his proposal to overhaul immigration laws. But the court ruling -- sought by major American labor, business and farm organizations -- highlighted the chasm that the issue has opened between the Republican Party and its traditional business allies.
The case also called attention to the gulf between Washington rhetoric about the need to curtail illegal immigration and the economic reality that many U.S. employers rely on illegal labor, as well as to the government's inability for nearly three decades to develop adequate tools for identifying undocumented workers.
When the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce say something is bad for business, I think it's safe to say it is bad for business.
I also recently heard a knowledgeable man speak on Christian charity. He cited the passage in Leviticus where God commands that foreigners be treated with justice and "as one of you native born."
What was that about America being a Christian nation?
President Bush made the effort the centerpiece of a re-energized enforcement drive against illegal immigration in August after the Senate rejected his proposal to overhaul immigration laws. But the court ruling -- sought by major American labor, business and farm organizations -- highlighted the chasm that the issue has opened between the Republican Party and its traditional business allies.
The case also called attention to the gulf between Washington rhetoric about the need to curtail illegal immigration and the economic reality that many U.S. employers rely on illegal labor, as well as to the government's inability for nearly three decades to develop adequate tools for identifying undocumented workers.
When the AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce say something is bad for business, I think it's safe to say it is bad for business.
I also recently heard a knowledgeable man speak on Christian charity. He cited the passage in Leviticus where God commands that foreigners be treated with justice and "as one of you native born."
What was that about America being a Christian nation?
October 10, 2007
Songs I wrote - Taking Chances
My friend Jessica and I worked on some music last summer and fall, before she got really busy with her work as a high school teacher. One of the items we worked on was this acoustic bit (click to listen to MP3 via Quicktime) I had been toying with for several months. As was our standard experience, we fed off of each others creativity and she wrote some really good lyrics for this piece of music. We named the song "Taking Chances".
I hope to record it before the end of the year. But last month, I was fooling around in my home studio and decided to lay down the acoustic track. Then I said what the hell and picked up my Ibanez, dialed up an Incubs lead effect on my Digitech RP 200A and laid this fusion-esque lead down.
I was a bit cold to start, and messed up about half way through the song (the 1:30 mark if you are scoring at home) but as fate would have it I pulled off a few good licks in the second half of the piece.
I'm posting this here to mess about with MP3 and see how it works/sounds.
I hope to record it before the end of the year. But last month, I was fooling around in my home studio and decided to lay down the acoustic track. Then I said what the hell and picked up my Ibanez, dialed up an Incubs lead effect on my Digitech RP 200A and laid this fusion-esque lead down.
I was a bit cold to start, and messed up about half way through the song (the 1:30 mark if you are scoring at home) but as fate would have it I pulled off a few good licks in the second half of the piece.
I'm posting this here to mess about with MP3 and see how it works/sounds.
Women in a car do not constitute threat of deadly force
This is out of control and needs to stop:Both the company and the Interior Ministry have launched investigations into the incident.
The violence broke out in the early afternoon, when four SUVs belonging to Unity were heading east along a six-lane divided thoroughfare in Karrada, one of central Baghdad's most popular shopping districts. The white Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, carrying four people -- including at least three women -- drove toward the convoy from behind, witnesses said.
Iraqi police investigating the incident said the gunner in the last vehicle threw open a door and tossed what looked like a flare, then fired at least 19 rounds into the Oldsmobile.
According to Unity's chief operating officer, Michael Priddin, the women drove up quickly and "failed to stop despite escalation of warnings" including "hand signals and a signal flare."
October 09, 2007
Zdanski, Turner reelected to Reidsville council
Reidsville's incumbent city council members were reelected in an incredibly sparse election. Popular councilwoman Joan Zdanski again led vote getters with 420 votes, followed by fellow Councilmember Clark Turner with 392, according to unofficial results. Those are very similar numbers to the 2003 election.
King, who I consider a personal friend, was brash until the end. I've been painting my house for a week, so I was standing in the window when Turner came by to get his sign out of my yard just after the polls closed. I went out to speak with him, and as we were talking about whether my grass seed would germinate or not, King drove by on his way to his nearby house. He saw me and waved, and then recognized Turner and yelled "I'm gonna take your seat Clark."
Guess not.
I still say something is seriously wrong with the city when only 10 percent of registered voters bother to vote in a municipal election.
King, who I consider a personal friend, was brash until the end. I've been painting my house for a week, so I was standing in the window when Turner came by to get his sign out of my yard just after the polls closed. I went out to speak with him, and as we were talking about whether my grass seed would germinate or not, King drove by on his way to his nearby house. He saw me and waved, and then recognized Turner and yelled "I'm gonna take your seat Clark."
Guess not.
I still say something is seriously wrong with the city when only 10 percent of registered voters bother to vote in a municipal election.
Eden plant should survive Miller-Coors merger
None of Miller's six breweries, or the two breweries operated by Coors, will be closed as the result of this morning's surprise announcement, said Pete Marino, Miller spokesman.
October 04, 2007
Good Question
What's driving the SCHIP stand-off
More background on what's driving the SCHIP battle in Washington:
The current confrontation stems as much from the White House's desire to use the bill reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program to advance Bush's proposals to expand health insurance coverage through tax breaks as it does from his budgetary concerns. The idea was a major focus of the State of the Union address, and Bush and his advisers tried throughout the spring to interest lawmakers in attaching the measure to an SCHIP bill.
But the key Republicans on health-care issues, including Sen. Charles E. Grassley (Iowa), the ranking GOP member of the Finance Committee, said they found no takers for this approach. Hatch, a conservative, said he thought Bush was being unrealistic and had not come to grips with the fact that Democrats now run Congress.
More Hatch:
"Look, I disagree with the [White House] legislative staff on all of this," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), a key negotiator on the vetoed bill. "Frankly, I think the president has had pretty poor advice on this. I can answer every objection that they've made, and I'm very favorable to the president. I know he's compassionate. I know he's concerned about these kids, but he's been sold a bill of goods."
The current confrontation stems as much from the White House's desire to use the bill reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program to advance Bush's proposals to expand health insurance coverage through tax breaks as it does from his budgetary concerns. The idea was a major focus of the State of the Union address, and Bush and his advisers tried throughout the spring to interest lawmakers in attaching the measure to an SCHIP bill.
But the key Republicans on health-care issues, including Sen. Charles E. Grassley (Iowa), the ranking GOP member of the Finance Committee, said they found no takers for this approach. Hatch, a conservative, said he thought Bush was being unrealistic and had not come to grips with the fact that Democrats now run Congress.
More Hatch:
"Look, I disagree with the [White House] legislative staff on all of this," said Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), a key negotiator on the vetoed bill. "Frankly, I think the president has had pretty poor advice on this. I can answer every objection that they've made, and I'm very favorable to the president. I know he's compassionate. I know he's concerned about these kids, but he's been sold a bill of goods."
Long time coming
More than one-third of NC under exceptional drought
This just keeps getting worse.
The percent of North Carolina under D4 exceptional drought conditions jumped from 4 percent last week to 37.7 percent this week. Almost 80 percent of the state is under D3-D4 drought conditions.
National 12-week animation.
View Haw River stream flow data and think about what it would mean if someone upstream sucks 100k plus gpd out for a golf course.
New cap and trade proposal in Congress
One of the most important questions in America today:
WaPo:
"It remains unclear how much Republican support Dingell and Boucher's proposal will enjoy in the House, and when legislation might advance. Asked whether GOP members backed the plan, Dingell spokeswoman Jodi Seth responded in an e-mail, "You'll have to check with the Republicans."
Cap and trade primers.
WaPo:"It remains unclear how much Republican support Dingell and Boucher's proposal will enjoy in the House, and when legislation might advance. Asked whether GOP members backed the plan, Dingell spokeswoman Jodi Seth responded in an e-mail, "You'll have to check with the Republicans."
Cap and trade primers.
October 03, 2007
Bush vetoes inflated SCHIP bill
Message from Democrats:
Give us what we want or we will confuse the issue with hyperbole and useless rhetoric.
WaPo:
But this year the president and Democrats are far apart on spending on the program. In his budget, Bush proposed adding only $5 billion to the program for the next five years, for a total of $30 billion -- or about half the funding called for in the plan vetoed today. Bush aides have hinted he might be willing to go along with more funding, but not as much as contemplated by Congress right now.
Democrats began blasting Bush with the ink barely dry on the veto. "Today we learned that the same president who is willing to throw away a half trillion dollars in Iraq is unwilling to spend a small fraction of that amount to bring health care to American children," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.).
"The Congress has done its job, passing a bipartisan bill that meets a critical need without adding a penny to the federal deficit. The president has broken his promise to America's children."
Let the negotiations begin.
UPDATE: NC Congressmen Etheridge and McIntyre are among a core group of eight Dems from "rural conservative districts" who voted against the SCHIP expansion and will likely be key to fielding enough votes to override the veto. Interestingly, Dennis Kucinich is also among that group of eight.
October 02, 2007
Are they moving the road or renaming it or what?
Former state Sen. Bill Goldston is leading the proposal, which he introduced Monday night during the monthly meeting of the Rockingham County commissioners. Goldston proposes changing a portion of the N.C. 87 Bypass to a section of road including U.S. 29 and N.C. 14.
Can anyone out there explain to me what that means?
Also, it's day two for this non-story, and I've heard from once city council member who says that the Reidsville Review's reputation for accuracy and credibility is at an all time low.
"It's just incompetence," the council member said.
Another elected official up for reelection relates a "horror" story of how they purchased an advert in the Reidsville Review, which was fouled up. When the candidate/customer went to discuss the matter, the sales rep apparently tried to pretend like she had never seen the customer/candidate before.
The official I mentioned earlier asked me how far up the Media General ladder they had to go to get somebody competent to air their grievances with. I suggested the publisher in Danville, Steve Kaylor. The official asked "Does he care about accuracy?" I said that he did, because my recollection of Kaylor is that of a well-trained newsman with a sense of the journalistic tradition.
Good luck, Reidsville. I wish you well on your quest. That is unless Eden flips the world upside down just to make it easier to find.
Can anyone out there explain to me what that means?
Also, it's day two for this non-story, and I've heard from once city council member who says that the Reidsville Review's reputation for accuracy and credibility is at an all time low.
"It's just incompetence," the council member said.
Another elected official up for reelection relates a "horror" story of how they purchased an advert in the Reidsville Review, which was fouled up. When the candidate/customer went to discuss the matter, the sales rep apparently tried to pretend like she had never seen the customer/candidate before.
The official I mentioned earlier asked me how far up the Media General ladder they had to go to get somebody competent to air their grievances with. I suggested the publisher in Danville, Steve Kaylor. The official asked "Does he care about accuracy?" I said that he did, because my recollection of Kaylor is that of a well-trained newsman with a sense of the journalistic tradition. Good luck, Reidsville. I wish you well on your quest. That is unless Eden flips the world upside down just to make it easier to find.
“Found Object Art Show” opens Saturday
Via RDC:
Looking for something out of the ordinary, wow, do we have something for you! “Found Object Art” is the featured show this month at The Gallery of the Fine Arts Festival Association of Rockingham County located at 217 SW Market St. The community was challenged to create something extraordinary out of ordinary objects. The community rose to the challenge with over 40 entries made from objects such as glass, fabric, shells, rocks, old chairs, coins, buttons, pipes, wood, hardware, metal, screws, nails, bolts, gears, you name it! The opening reception for the October “Found Object Art Show” will be held on Saturday, Oct 6th, from 5:00pm-9:00pm as to not conflict with “An Evening at Chinqua Penn Plantation”. With music provided by Bret Hart, this opening is not to be missed. Come enjoy the art, the music, the wine, the food and the fun. Proceeds from all sales at The Gallery support both the artists and the gallery. You can offer your support by becoming a member or sponsor. Stop by and talk with curator, Tara Thullner, or call 349-2060. The Gallery is open Thursday, 10:00am – 7:00pm and Friday & Saturday, 10:00am – 2:00pm.
“An Evening at Chinqua Penn Plantation”, Friday, October 5, 2007, 6:00-10:00pm, is the regional kick-off celebration of the Piedmont Triad arts, artists and cultural resources in anticipation of the Nov.1- 4, Bricolage Arts Festival. The lawn party begins with a guided tour of the mansion offered between 6-7:30 p.m. After the tour, beverages and light dinner fare will be served in the formal gardens with live music by King Mackerel. Gala tickets are $35 each and can be purchased at www.bricolageartsfestival.org or by calling Anne Wilson at (336) 908-3242.
Looking for something out of the ordinary, wow, do we have something for you! “Found Object Art” is the featured show this month at The Gallery of the Fine Arts Festival Association of Rockingham County located at 217 SW Market St. The community was challenged to create something extraordinary out of ordinary objects. The community rose to the challenge with over 40 entries made from objects such as glass, fabric, shells, rocks, old chairs, coins, buttons, pipes, wood, hardware, metal, screws, nails, bolts, gears, you name it! The opening reception for the October “Found Object Art Show” will be held on Saturday, Oct 6th, from 5:00pm-9:00pm as to not conflict with “An Evening at Chinqua Penn Plantation”. With music provided by Bret Hart, this opening is not to be missed. Come enjoy the art, the music, the wine, the food and the fun. Proceeds from all sales at The Gallery support both the artists and the gallery. You can offer your support by becoming a member or sponsor. Stop by and talk with curator, Tara Thullner, or call 349-2060. The Gallery is open Thursday, 10:00am – 7:00pm and Friday & Saturday, 10:00am – 2:00pm.
“An Evening at Chinqua Penn Plantation”, Friday, October 5, 2007, 6:00-10:00pm, is the regional kick-off celebration of the Piedmont Triad arts, artists and cultural resources in anticipation of the Nov.1- 4, Bricolage Arts Festival. The lawn party begins with a guided tour of the mansion offered between 6-7:30 p.m. After the tour, beverages and light dinner fare will be served in the formal gardens with live music by King Mackerel. Gala tickets are $35 each and can be purchased at www.bricolageartsfestival.org or by calling Anne Wilson at (336) 908-3242.
A persistent problem
Are we prepared to live with lingering drought conditions through the end of the year.
How will next year's crops be affected by a lack of replenishment this winter?
Are we headed down a similar path?
At least some people are starting to stand up and take notice.
UPDATE: GNR reports on intricacies of Reidsville's water deal with GSO.
"[GSO's] contract with Reidsville allows that city to cancel the deal if its reservoir level is down more than 4 feet, Williams said.Right now, it's 2 1/2 feet below the dam ."
October 01, 2007
Can't get there from here
Well if the good people in Eden don't have enough to worry about, they try to make something up. It's bad enough the little town is in the middle of nowhere, near nothing, and has little of interest to outsiders. But instead of making their town a vibrant little place, they want to change the whole big world to fit their whim.
In another in a long line of battles against the layout of roads in North Carolina, Eden officials want to rename highways in Reidsville so people looking for Eden have an easier time finding it.
Never mind you that there are signs galore in Reidsville telling you how to get to Eden, or that of all the many ways you can get their, each one is clearly marked. Never mind that Eden officials a few years ago convinced NCDOT officials to change all their signs on US 29 to channel people to Eden via the NC 14 exit north of Reidsville so that the trickle of travellers to that hopping destination dare not spend a buck or two in Reidsville before arriving in the Land of Two Rivers.
No, now they want to rename part of NC 14 in Reidsville as NC 87 bypass. At least that's what I gleam from this story in the Reidsville Review.
Note to Edenites: If you build it they will come. If its worth finding they will find it.
Note to travellers: Getting to Eden is a cinch, but once you get there, look out. It's about as easy to navigate as the Cape Horn.
Side note of interest: The story mentions how wary travellers are led astray by online map tools and GPS systems. I did a quick search of Map Quest, Yahoo and Google services asking for directions from Raleigh to Eden.
Google is the clear winner, with a nice route off I-40 through Gibsonville, onto US29 and off at NC 14, straight shot to Eden.
Yahoo takes you through Burlington, into Reidsville proper, across town in a confusing route, and out into Wentworth to bring you into the far side of Eden on NC 87.
MapQuest takes you out of your way to Greensboro, backtracks northeast to Reidsville on US29, before leading you to the NC 14 exit for the straight shot to Eden.
I think a good state map and travelling as the crow flies is still the best way to get around in the Tar Heel state.
Proud to be one of the many
Last week I gave $25 to the Obama for America campaign. It was the first time I've given money to a political candidate, although I did once contribute to the Republican National Senatorial Campaign in like 1998.
I believe in Barack Obama.
Why don't you take some time to listen to what the man has to say.
A lot of people have and, like me, been inspired to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to creating a new atmosphere in American politics.
You probably won't hear about this too much in the mainstream media, but the most recent Newsweek poll of likely caucus goers in Iowa has Obama ahead of HRC 28 to 24 percent, with John Edwards garnering 22 percent.