January 2007 Archives

January 1, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Happy New Year! (oops...)

As I wrote back on May 1, "I will have to do some more fiddling [with my homemade automated blog system*] before the end of the year, or else a sort of 'Y2K' glitch will result." Indeed, such a glitch came to pass, as I discovered to my chagrin after midnight last night. Because I wanted to complete the revised Olympic Stadium diagrams by the end of the year, I wasn't able to take care of that Web site maintenance chore in time, so it is remotely possible that a few people may have noticed a large blank space and an error message on my main blog page and the category blog pages. Sorry about that. I seriously doubt that very many people were browsing this site during the New Year's festivities or this morning, however. Fortunately, fixing the bug only took about 15 minutes of coding work, and that should take care of things for the rest of this century, at least...

* For a brief explanation, see my April 17 blog post.

¡Feliz Año Nuevo! / Bon Any Nou!*

As is our custom during the holidays, we had a rollicking good time with Jacqueline's family and friends in Northern Virginia last night. (¡Muchas gracias, Walter y Gloria!) I'm getting better at identifying the various genres of Latin American music, from salsa to merengue to cumbia. Maybe I'm just getting old and grouchy, but there is one relatively new style that grates on my nerves: "reggaeton," a sort of fusion of reggae and traditional Spanish-Caribbean folk music. See Wikipedia, of course.

* Those are new year's greetings in Spanish and Catalonian, respectively, the latter intended for our friends Montse and Josep, who live in the Catalonian region of Spain.

January 1, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Saddam at the gallows: video

For those with morbid curiousity about the hanging, there are probably several valid URLs, but this one seems to be among the more original versions of that grainy cell phone video clip: pandachute.com, located via Google Video. I saw it during the New Year's Eve party last night, and while the haste and partisan nature of the execution were a little disturbing, I wouldn't quibble with Iraqis doing things their own way. They have very good reasons for feeling the way they do. It was, at least, much more proper than the Christmas 1989 execution of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. As BBC editor John Simpson opines, however:

Altogether, the execution as we now see it is shown to be an ugly, degrading business, which is more reminiscent of a public hanging in the 18th Century than a considered act of 21st Century official justice.

Well! As for the hanging itself, John Krenson lays out "The moral case for Saddam's execution." He acknowledges the anti-death penalty position of the Catholic Church and others, but argues that the small possibility that Saddam could have one day escaped and resumed brutalizing his opponents justified taking extreme measures for society's own defense. He cited Jules Crittenden who writes, "The world is a better place rid of this filthy murderer," (hear, hear!) and has a roundup of blogospheric reactions. Jeff "Protein Wisdom" says the execution "provides a kind of psychological relief for the many Shia oppressed and brutalized by the thuggish Ba'athist regime." No one should underestimate how important that is. Jeff also echoes my point regarding Saddam's last-minute conversion to conciliatory politics, paraphrasing Samuel Johnson:

Depend on it, Sr, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates the mind wonderfully. (SOURCE: Oxford Dictionary of Quotations 3rd ed., 1980)

January 2, 2007 [LINK / comment]

At the stadium construction site

The grandstand in what will be the right field corner, as seen from the north end of the construction site. Roll mouse over this image to see the grandstand behind home plate, on the southwest side.

After visiting some friends in Northern Virginia on Sunday, Jacqueline and I drove across the Potomac to check out the new stadium construction site. Things are indeed progressing at a rapid clip. Unfortunately, the skies had become overcast by the time we got there late in the afternoon, so these photos aren't that great. On the lot where the future parking garage will be built, we saw the Good and Plenty carry-out / eatery, which has been closed down and boarded up, unfortunately. Retaining some (but not all!) of those old neighborhood gathering places would have greatly enhanced the ballpark's place in the community, like Wrigley Field or Fenway Park.

I have created a rudimentary page for the future Washington Nationals Stadium, with a very rough sketch diagram.

Just around the corner...

Opening Day will be on April Fool's Day this year, so who knows what goofy hijinks will take place? Until then, the daily countdown will be displayed on the top right of the baseball blog page.

Fiesta Bowl: Unbelievable!

I don't usually spend much time discussing football, but the victory by Boise State over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl last night was one of the most amazing finishes I've ever seen. The outcome itself was a big upset, but the bizarre way it ended was truly a jaw-opener. I was worn out from the New Year's party, but I'm glad I stayed up past midnight to see the conclusion, in overtime. To top it off, the guy who scored the winning [two-point conversion] on a trick "Statue of Liberty" play, Ian Johnson, proposed to his girlfriend, who is one of the cheerleaders. Talk about a fairy-tale ending! See ESPN. Hats off to Boise State.

By the way, this was the first game I had seen played in the University of Phoenix Stadium, the new space-age, climate-controlled home of the Arizona Cardinals, featuring a retractable grass field. I think that's the first time that a university has obtained stadium naming rights in a competitive bid process. According to azcentral.com, "It is the nation's largest private university, with 250,000 students, most of them working adults."

UPDATE: Ironically, the University of Phoenix does not seem to have an athletic program!

Web site offline

For some obscure technical reason, my Web hosting service was not functioning for a few hours earlier today. My apologies for the inconvenience. Unlike yesterday morning, however, this time it was not my fault!

January 2, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Lula begins second term

Brazilian President Luis Inacio da Silva was inaugurated for a second time yesterday, as the security situation in his country continues to deteriorate. Last week 19 people died as narcotics-trade gangs set fire to buses and launched attacks on several police stations in Rio de Janeiro. In response, the new governor of that state, Sergio Cabral, said he would welcome Brazilian army troops to put down the gang uprising. Da Silva declared "This barbarity that happened in Rio de Janeiro can't be treated like common crime. It's terrorism and must be dealt with by the strong hand of the Brazilian state." See CNN.com. Sao Paulo suffered a similar wave of gang warfare last May. The spread of such violence across the country is very disturbing, suggesting it is part of an orchestrated campaign. It's ironic that the leftist populist Da Silva has been put in the position of having to crack down to restore order. He renewed his vows to spend more federal money to lift people out of poverty, but it may not be enough. Or, it may be that da Silva's promises have raised unrealistic hopes for immediate socio-economic improvement, creating bitter disappointment. Although successful in economic terms overall, income distribution in Brazil is highly skewed, and class envy is high.

January 3, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Mexican army heads to Tijuana

The Mexican government is sending 3,300 soldiers and federal police to fight narcotraffic gangs in Tijuana, where some of the most vicious gang violence has taken place in recent years. President Felipe Calderon, who was inaugurated just one month ago, had previously sent 7,000 troops to deal with gangs in the western state of Michoacan, his home. See CNN.com. The border near San Diego is already very tense because of the clampdown on illegal immigration by the United States; thousands of would-be Mexican emigrants are trapped and desperate. This deployment of forces happens to coincide with a similar situation taking place in Brazil. The challenge will be to avoid exposing the troops to the temptation of bribes offered by narcotraffickers, which is the apparent reason for repeated cases of uniformed Mexican security personnel assisting with the smuggling of humans and drugs across the border.

January 3, 2007 [LINK / comment]

A new year of canary romance

Princess gave up on the lone egg she had laid last month, and by Christmas she had already resumed her "flirtatious" ways, flapping her wings in the window and chirping in the nest. Even after all these years (almost six!), such behavior still puts George into an amorous mood, manifested by aggressiveness, affection, and some singing. They happened to be together in this tuft of "grass" this evening, and the lamp light made for a good photo op. That stuff grew from the stray bird seeds that end up in the flower pot.

January 3, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Was Gerald Ford a "RINO"?

The funeral services for President Gerald R. Ford in Washington National Cathedral and in Grand Rapids, Michigan today raise the touchy question of what has become of the Grand Old Party. In today's Washington Post, Dan Balz and David Broder wrote, "the Republican Party that spawned Ford and his brand of Midwestern conservatism barely exists today." Indeed, the way many Republican activists talk these days, someone like Ford would be castigated as a "Republican In Name Only." Balz and Broder cite praise for Ford from former Rep. Vin Weber, a moderate and very intelligent Minnesotan who got burned by the Religious Right in the 1990s. It will be interesting to see whether the occasion of President Ford's passing away leads to the kind of "soul-searching among Republicans" that Balz and Broder wish for.

In today's News Leader, Mike Radoiu expressed similar thoughts, asking "Who'll be the new Gerald R. Ford?" Mr. Radoiu grew up in Michigan and thus had a special appreciation for President Ford's old-fashioned virtues:

I also saw in him that self-effacing and common sense style so familiar to me while growing up in the Midwest. This was a world that valued practicality over partisanship, cooperation over rancor and that always preferred to build bridges rather to burn them down. In his world, negotiation trumped gunslinging machismo and consensus building ruled the day. ... The irony is that Mr. Ford's party, having taken a sharp rightward and radical turn in the past two decades, would have pilloried him today as too moderate, too accommodating and simply not conservative enough.

It saddens me to acknowledge that quite a few Republicans today fit that description. I would like to think that it is possible to be strongly in favor of conservative policies without becoming part of the hard-edged nastiness à la Tom DeLay and Karl Rove, but such a distinction may be too subtle for most people. If so, and if the zeitgeist in America really has turned decisively toward the center of the political spectrum, the prospects for honest conservative reform may have slammed shut for the foreseeable future.

January 4, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Power struggle in Venezuela?

The rising gang violence that has emanated from prisons in Central America, Brazil, and Mexico over the past year or two may be spreading to Venezuela. In the western state of Lara, a total of 22 prisoners were killed in gang fights since Monday, and in response Hugo Chavez fired his Interior and Justice Minister Jesse Chacon. There are hints of a power struggle behind the scenes, however, because Chavez also dismissed Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel, who has played a prominent role in defending Chavez in the diplomatic arena. "Rangel will be replaced by Jorge Rodriguez, a Chavez ally who served as a director of the country's electoral commission during a heated 2004 recall referendum against the president." See CNN.com. The United States government has complained that Venezuela is lax in fighting drug trafficking, so this incident serves as a test of whether or not Chavez is serious about enforcing the law.

January 4, 2007 [LINK / comment]

110th Congress: open for business

More likely, it is open against business, but that remains to be seen. Senators Reid and McConnell met this morning in preparation for the opening session of the 110th Congress and announced their desire to work together in a constructive, bipartisan fashion. Kumbayah! Well, that's easier said than done. After all, it was Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin who compared U.S. treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo to totalitarian regimes [in June 2005]. That wasn't very nice, or truthful. Indeed, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday that "Democrats are planning to largely sideline Republicans from the first burst of lawmaking." After the Democrats' initial "100-hour" flurry of reform bills and resolutions, much will depend on whether the Republicans are disciplined enough to behave like the responsible minority party they once were. If so, the Democrats will be under heavy pressure to show to the public that they were serious about getting things done for a change. The Democratic base is ardently opposed to any backtracking, however: Activists on the Left are pushing hard to withdraw from Iraq as quickly as possible, and even begin impeachment proceedings against President Bush; see the Post. One of those activists is on my list of unmentionable wackos.

In a surprising gesture of cooperative spirit, President Bush declared he will submit a plan to balance the budget within five years. He also wants Congress to make the process of "earmarking" appropriations bills more transparent, to prevent sneaky things like Sen. Ted Stevens' infamous "bridge to nowhere." See Washington Post. Well, it's about time! Actually, such rules changes were proposed over a year ago. I suppose it's easier to call for spending cuts and restraint in pork barrel projects when your party is no longer in charge of the budget... Likewise, Bush's readiness to acquiesce is a major hike in the minimum wage is understandable politically, but from a conservative policy standpoint, it is terribly depressing.

Interestingly, wonk-blogger Josh Marshall has been too busy complaining about the execution of Saddam Hussein to devote much writing to the Democrats' first day back in legislative power. As the Republicans learned over the past decade, the responsibilities of actually making policy decisions can wear a guy out. For some folks, it's easier just to throw mud and whine about red herrings.

Will Democrats get hold of themselves and refrain from the temptation to exact maximum short-term revenge against the Republicans for the sake of their long-term interests? All those squabbles associated with Rep. Pelosi's choice of committee and caucus leaders make one skeptical. I have nothing against women in positions of power, mind you! I'm guessing it will be a few months before she really gets the hang of leadership, giving and taking as dictated by political expedience. In the meantime, the table of congressional leaders, which appears on the Politics blog page, has been updated. We should remember that South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson remains hospitalized after suffering a brain hemorrhage last month, and no one expects him to return any time soon.

Making up, too late

Rep. Virgil Goode shook hands and made up with new Rep. Keith Ellison, who used the Koran for the ceremonial oath-taking. Humble reconciliation is a good and Christian (!) thing to do. Meanwhile, however, Goode's office in Charlottesville was spray-painted with the word "BIGOT"; see TPM Cafe. The town where Thomas Jefferson used to live really doesn't belong in Rep. Goode's Fifth District, which consists mostly of rural counties in south-central Virginia. Blame that on the 1992 redistricting by the Virginia Democrats who took away then-Rep. George Allen's constituency; and the rest is history...

The Nixon Library

I've seen an old colleague (well, he was way above me) from the U.Va. Miller Center on C-SPAN a few times recently. Timothy Naftali, a Cold War historian who wrote Blind Spot: The Secret History of American Counterterrorism and several other works, was named Director of the Richard Nixon Library & Museum last April. A month or so ago he appeared with former Secretary of State Al Haig in a discussion of Richard Nixon's foreign policy legacy. I must say, Gen. Haig is still on the ball after all these years, and he's not afraid of expressing criticism of the neocons around Bush who have left Iraq in such a mess. (He was kind enough to respond to my queries about the Falklands crisis while I was doing my dissertation research.) Prof. Naftali is truly both "a scholar and a gentleman," a combination that is hard to maintain these days. He grew up in Montreal and was an Expos fan from the days that they played in Jarry Park.

January 4, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Tobruk and Churchill, 1942

Influenced by romanticized movie portrayals of World War II, we often forget that there was a lot of political bickering going on at the time, and even some cases of disloyalty. It is useful to compare the current situation in Washington with the political spat in Great Britain after Rommel's Afrika Korps overran the port city of Tobruk in June 1942. This came on the heels of the fall of Singapore and Hong Kong to Japanese invaders, when all seemed lost. In Great Britain, many politicians used the Tobruk debacle to submit a motion to censure Prime Minister Winston Churchill, whose popularity was never very high. As Churchill wrote of this episode in his Memoirs of the Second World War,

The debate was opened by Sir John Wardlaw-Milne in an able speech in which he posed the main issue. This motion was "not an attack upon officers in the field. It is a definite attack upon the central direction here in London..."

Where have we heard a phrase like that before? "We support the troops, but not the war." Hmmm... No doubt, Sir Wardlaw-Milne garnered broad popular acclaim at the time for his political grandstanding, but alas, his name has been forgotten in the dustbin of history. Another MP angrily denounced what he saw as Churchill's failure to take responsibility for strategic mistakes, going so far as to compare the loyalty bestowed upon Churchill to the Nazis' insistence that "The Fuehrer is always right." (Can you imagine?) Yet another MP cited the sarcastic quip "that if Rommel had been in the British Army he would have been a sergeant." Clearly, there was a strong current of defeatism, but Churchill stood his ground and eloquently rebutted all of the charges in Parliament. Ultimately, the House of Commons realized that their nation's survival depended upon national unity and voted overwhelmingly against the motion of censure, 475 to 25.

So, is the lesson for us that such political backbiting on the home front is not necessarily fatal for a country engaged in mortal combat with a dangerous foe, or that crassly opportunistic politicians generally wise up and act in defense of the national interest when the moment of truth comes? I'll leave that for you to decide...

Death toll: over 3,000

It has been reported that the number of U.S. fatalities in Iraq climbed above the 3,000 mark in the past week, and some commentators have made the irrelevant comparison to the number killed in the 9/11 attacks. Thus far, the Pentagon has released the names of 2,955 armed service personnel who gave their lives in Iraq. The difference is due to the fallen soldiers whose names have not yet been released because the next of kin have not yet been located, as explained at globalsecurity.org. Maintaining communications between military personnel and their families is not as easy as you might think, and that happens to be one of the many vital but little-known functions of the American Red Cross.

January 5, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Randy Johnson returns to AZ?

The Yankees have reached a tentative deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, trading Randy Johnson in return for four players. The Yankees would, it is reported, absorb $2 million of the $16 million Johnson is owed for the 2007 season. In return for waiving his no-trade clause, Johnson would get a contract extension through 2008, when he will turn 45. That would give him a good chance to reach the 300-career win threshhold; he currently has 280 wins. See MLB.com. It's probably for the best on both sides. Sometimes things just don't work out.

Mientkiewicz to Bronx

Doug Mientkiewicz, who played first base for the Mets last year, and for the Red Sox before that, is in the process of being traded "across town" to the Yankees. Assuming he passes the physical exam, etc., it would allow Jason Giambi to become a full-time designated hitter. See MLB.com. Now, will the Mets bring back Mike Piazza to play first base?

The mail bag

The owners of the land where the Twins' future stadium will be built are holding out for more money, which may necessitate formal condemnation proceedings in court, in which case the delays would raise the total cost by a large amount. $90 million has been allocated for land acquisition and related expenses. See startribune.com (via Mike Zurawski)

Bruce Orser found a page full of Yankee Stadium construction photos, at yankeephotos.com, as well as photos of Fenway Park thru the years at redsoxnation.net.

---

Nick Johnson heals

UPDATE: Washington Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson is slowly healing from a broken leg he suffered last September, but he will probably miss at least the first month of the regular season this year. See Washington Post. Get well soon, Nick!

January 5, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Widespread corruption in Chile

Contrary to public perceptions, news reports over the past year or two suggest that Chile is plagued by as much corruption as are other Latin America countries. The Miami Herald has compiled a list of some of the most egregious cases of bribery and embezzlement. Late dictator Augusto Pinochet kept secret accounts worth at least $28 million in foreign banks, and several officials belonging to the Socialist Party (of which President Michelle Bachelet is a member) have been convicted of bribery or are under investigation for various kinds of financial wrongdoing. The article rightly points out that much of the problem stems from the fact that the same center-left coalition has controlled the government for the last 16 years. (Hat tip to Randy Paul.) The question is whether the revelations of government crookedness will undermine Chile's reputation as a safe place to invest money. Gaining its reputation as a haven for foreign capital did not come easy, and it would be a shame for a country that has achieved so much to squander it all away.

---

More tensions on Mexican border

UPDATE: The U.S. Border Patrol reported that a team of National Guardsmen manning a border post in Arizona was forced to retreat after being fired upon and assaulted by a group from Mexico, according to azcentral.com (via Instapundit). If this is accurate, it would dispel the widespread belief that the border is sufficiently secure without a fence, or without heavy reinforcements. Further west, Mexican army troops ordered the local police in Tijuana to disarm, as they try to retake control of the city from drug traffickers. Police forces have been accused of helping the smuggling operations. See BBC.

January 5, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Virginia blogosphere flap

Meanwhile, back in the Old Dominion... I haven't been paying much attention to the Virginia blogosphere lately, which is why it was not until yesterday that I learned of an odd controversy with a local twist. It seems that Charlottesville blogger Waldo Jaquith *, who maintains a list of Virginia political blogs, drew some heat for de-listing a right-wing graphical blog called General Grievous' Dog because of what he deemed to be inappropriate content. Frankly, I can't blame him. Each of us have our own standards of what constitutes good taste; to each his own. In response, a guy I know who does the Spank That Donkey blog (out of respect, I'll omit his name on this occasion) asked Waldo to remove his link in protest, and the polemical sparks really started flying. In response, conservative bloggers Shaun Kenney and Chad Dotson (who had "closed up shop" after the election) took time to make blog posts in support of Waldo, on principle. Kenney wrote, "Waldo Jaquith's prime metaconcern has always been with the tone of the blogosphere." Finally, Slantblog cited Daily Progress columnist Bob Gibson with regard to the recent Virgil Goode controversy and this silly tempest, asking if there is "something strange in Staunton's water supply?" Ho, ho, ho. Slantblog goes on:

It seems the Boycott Waldo movement was mostly centered in the Staunton area. I don't know how many different people it really involved, but I'm left to wonder why Republicans in that part of Virginia seem so different than others?

Methinks he doth generalize too much. Or perhaps it is just a case of selective attention. After all, the City of Staunton (where I live) is a separate political entity from Augusta County, as was made painfully clear by what recently happened to the old swacgop.org Web site. What a shame... Is it any wonder I have such a hard time taking Virginia politics seriously? Anyone who reads this blog knows that I emphatically share the concern of Waldo and Shaun about the increasingly coarse tone of political discourse these days. Those who know me personally can attest that I have taken more than my share of criticism from political colleagues for refusing to put up with nastiness and polarization. Maybe this even temperament stems from my Midwestern roots, like Gerald Ford. One lesson I have been drawing from post-election developments such as this incident is that there isn't nearly as much difference in terms of anger and bitter resentment between Right and Left as there used to be. Another lesson is that the blogosphere is becoming more and more crowded with pushy rank amateur newcomers, to the detriment of all. I have often marveled at how obsessed some bloggers are with drawing attention to themselves, as if blogging were an exercise in pure vanity. I prefer dignified modesty, thank you. In any case, I've updated my blogroll and look forward to following a broader range of commentary on Virginia politics, as time permits.

* I remember hearing Waldo on WINA radio in Charlottesville several times during the 1990s when he was a precocious teenage globe trotter of sorts. As in, "Where's Waldo?"

On a related note, there is a lot of chair-switching going on among big-time Republican bloggers (including Virginia's Jon Henke), according to Daniel Glover; via Instapundit).

"Blue Dogs" mark their turf

After the second day back in power, the Democrats seem to be reasonably well organized. For me, it's a good sign that the conservative "Blue Dog Coalition" is exerting a lot of influence, resisting the demands of the Democrat left wing. In a press conference today, co-chairs Mike Ross (AR) and Allen Boyd (FL) outlined their budget deficit reduction plans, and made it clear that they support the effort of our armed forces in Iraq. Rep. Stephanie Herseth (SD!) serves as the caucus Whip, and is a very impressive rising star in the Democratic Party. Other key members include Jane Harman (CA), who is still peeved at Speaker Nancy Pelosi for passing her over for the post of intelligence committee chair. One of the newest members is former Redskins quarterback Heath Shuler (NC). Oddly, however, there is not a single member from Virginia! In terms of national politics, nonetheless, the center is where the action is these days. I hope enough Republican leaders remember their "traditional value" of fiscal responsibility before the political tides shift decisively in the Democrats' favor.

January 6, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Registration resumes

I have reactivated the Registration for this Web site, allowing new visitors to submit general remarks, blog comments, or stadium impressions. Hopefully the revised format will prevent the spam attacks that forced me to shut this feature down two months ago.

January 6, 2007 [LINK / comment]

New raptors in Highland County

Encouraged by forecasts of clear, balmy weather for today, I joined the friendly folks of the Augusta Bird Club for a field trip to Highland County this morning, led by John Spahr. I was rewarded for my efforts with two life birds, bringing my total up to 366! On the West Virginia line near the town of Blue Grass we saw three juvenile Golden eagles swooping around a mountain slope a half mile away. I was surprised to learn that the juveniles have prominent white patches under each wing and in their tails. A few miles to the west, we saw an adult of that same species. Because of strong, brisk winds (contrary to the forecasts!), it was hard to hold our binoculars steady, so it was hard to keep the eagles in sight. South of the hamlet of Hightown (near the very source of the South Branch of the Potomac River!), later on, we saw a dark phase Rough-legged hawk. Then we had a nice hot lunch in the picturesque town of Monterey, and some of us headed home from there. Time well spent, in good company! The relative absence of sparrows and other small songbirds was a bit surprising. Today's highlights:

• Ravens
• Bald eagles -- 3+
• Red-tailed hawks
• Kestrels
• Kingfishers
• Golden eagles -- 3 juv., 1 adult (LIFE BIRD!)
• Rough-legged hawk (LIFE BIRD!)
• Goldfinches (some turning yellow)
• Black-capped chickadees

Bird conservation

I have seen Bald eagles more and more frequently in recent years, so it was not surprising that they will soon be taken off the list of endangered species. What an inspiring comeback for our National Symbol! See Washington Post.

Another bit of good bird conservation news from across the Atlantic: the stork population has rebounded, thanks to efforts by Germany and other countries to reclaim river bottomlands, where storks nest. I was surprised to learn that storks breed in Spain and most of Central and Eastern Europe, whereas in the United States they are seldom found outside of Florida or southern Georgia. See the Post.

January 7, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Looking back on the year: 2006

Better late than never! As I did for the end of 2005, I thought it would be appropriate to summarize the year's main events and trends in terms of how I saw them at the time. You might say it was a bad year for Republicans and (small "d") democrats alike, as discontent with Bush administration war policy finally caught up with the GOP, and the cause of freedom and democracy in the Middle East stalled. The world became less secure, as Iran defied the United Nations and moved ahead with nuclear research, while North Korea test launched intercontinental missiles (a failure) and detonated a small (apparent) nuclear warhead. The White House strategy of mobilizing culturally conservative voters backfired badly, as multiple hypocrisies were exposed and the Republicans lost control of both houses of Congress in November. Fresh voices of ethical conservatism emerged during the year, however, offering hope for the future. Latin America continued to swing toward the Left, as new populist leaders were elected, but moderates and conservatives held on in key races, frustrating (for now) Hugo Chavez's bid to become the new Castro. In baseball, the Washington Nationals struggled mightily, but again finished the year in last place in the NL East, despite Alfonso Soriano's superb performance in home runs and stolen bases. The titles of the following blog entries (or photo gallery pages) are listed in chronological order, from January through December:

Major news items

• DeLay gives up majority leader post
• Alito withstands Dems' "torture"
• Views on Iran's nuclear ambitions
• The State of the Union, 2006
• D.C. Council votes "yes," but...
• Checks and balances in wartime
• New D.C. baseball stadium unveiled
• In the footsteps of France?
• Nuclear bluster: Iran and U.S.
• Groundbreaking on new stadium!
• Bush militarizes Mexican border
• Alan Garcia triumphs, once again
• Garcia prepares to lead Peru, again
• Fidel Castro is gravely ill
• Israel invades Hezbolland
• George Allen's puzzling slur (?)
• Groundbreaking in the Bronx
• "Crunchy conservatives": for real?
• Crunch time in Iraq (again)
• Nationals: Year in review
• Faith, politics, and the GOP
• North Korea's "smaller bang"
• "Hate triangle" tears Iraq apart
• Anger over U.S. "timetable"
• Cardinals are world champions
• Virginia's marriage amendment
• Allen concedes / Election post-mortem
• Realism and our goals in Iraq
• Latin America & U.S. trade policy
• Iraq Study Group reports
• Iraq: To surge or not to surge?

Final respects

I noted the passing of the following notable figures over the past year. Three were brutal bad guys.

• 12 miners in West Virginia
• John Kenneth Galbraith
• Lloyd Bentsen
• Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
• Buck O'Neil
• Corey Lidle
• Jeane Kirkpatrick
• Augusto Pinochet
• Gerald Ford
• Saddam Hussein

I probably should have mentioned Milton Friedman as well; he died during my two-week hiatus in November. To make up for that lapse, I plan to write an essay on his book Capitalism and Freedom soon.

Birding

• Catbird weathers snow storm
• Pine siskin belated appearance
• Big (chill) Spring Day, 2006
• ABC field trip on Bell's Lane
• ABC annual spring picnic
• ABC field trip to Chimney Hollow
• Orioles, orioles everywhere...
• Birding in South Dakota, 2006
• Glossy ibis visits the valley
• ABC in Montgomery Hall Park
• Shrike, eagle, & many sparrows
• Black swan in Augusta County
• Late fall birds in South Dakota
• Christmas Bird Count, 2006

Travels

• Pilgrimage to Appomattox
• South Dakota
• Baltimore
• National Zoo, National Aquarium
• Flying Fortress in Manassas
• Calfpasture Valley excursion

Even though this blog post was produced on January 7, I am manually inserting it at the end of the December 2006 Archives page, where it really belongs.

January 7, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Prison bloodbath in El Salvador

The wave of gang-related prison violence continues to sweep across Latin America, as at least 21 prisoners died this weekend in Apanteos jail, near the city of Santa Ana in northwestern El Salvador. The uprising began on Friday, and it took hundreds of police and soldiers before the government regained control of the facility. See BBC. It can hardly be coincidental that so many Latin American countries are being challenged by narco-traffic gangs simultaneously, and it may become a threat to U.S. national security interests unless effective measures to subdue the gang activities are taken soon.

January 8, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Conservation and Bell's Lane

In the Sunday News Leader, columnist Bruce Dorries wrote in praise of a movement by area residents who are opposed to paving over and developing the picturesque rural landscape of Bell's Lane. Mr. Dorries draws an apt comparison between slow-paced, dignified Staunton, and booming Harrisonburg to the north, where development spurred by the growth of agribusiness and James Madison University has resulted in ugly sprawl. We don't want to be like that! He interviewed several of us at the Augusta Bird Club meeting in December, when a petition calling for preservation of that scenic area was circulated. Aside from its purely aesthetic qualities, Bell's Lane boasts a unique combination of habitats -- wetlands, ponds, and rolling pastures -- attracting a wide variety of migratory birds. It was there that I saw ten different bird species for the first time, most notably the Short-eared owl. Apparently, the city of Staunton wants to build a shortcut bypass right through the middle of that precious area, which would ruin it. "McMansion"-style subdivisions are another distinct possibility. I called attention to that issue last July, and I hope enough residents of this area wake up and demand that their leaders take the necessary measures (tax breaks or whatever) to conserve the area's natural beauty before it's too late.

January 8, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Herb Harman: back from Iraq!

Here is some great news: I happened to catch an interview late this afternoon on WHSV TV-3 with Staff Sgt. Herb Harman, who just completed a year-long tour of duty in Iraq. He is an Army reservist who volunteered to serve in Iraq, and was assigned to a military police unit, helping train Iraqi government security forces. Herb is a resident of Augusta County and has been active with the local Republican Party; see last March 8. The strain of serving in a dangerous area (Baghdad and the Sunni Triangle) clearly shows on his face, and he said he learned a lot while he was there, but he still voiced support for carrying on the mission of helping to stabilize Iraq. For the large majority of Americans who are wimpy civilians (myself included), the sacrifices he endured to serve his country cannot even be imagined. "Hero" would be putting it mildly. But for now, the most important is returning to his family.

UPDATE: A video clip of the report on the return of 654th Military Police Company, and the "One on One" interview with Sgt. Harman conducted by anchorman Bob Corso, is now available at the WHSV TV-3 Web site.

Is our military exhausted?

Victor Davis Hanson questions the assumption (which I have expressed) that our military forces are at the brink of exhaustion. He recently paid a visit to Iraq, and found that our troops are being kept as well supplied and as comfortable as possible in a hostile environment such as that. Applying his perspective as a military historian, he recalls the enormous casualties at the Battle of the Bulge, Okinawa, and Korea, and concludes, "To say that the American military is ruined after fighting in Iraq is preposterous by both present and past standards of combat losses." He also downplays the fears of a strategic setback and hand-wringing over previous battlefield mistakes, which happen in every war. It's a good dose of sobriety at a crucial moment as President Bush ponders the surge option.

Are wars winding down?

Strategy Page surveyed the global military situation, and found that "Fighting has died down considerably, or disappeared completely, in places like Nepal, Chechnya, Congo, Indonesia and Burundi." (Hat tip to Barcepundit.)

January 9, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Ripken, Gwynn to Cooperstown

It's hard to imagine two players who were more deserving to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, in terms of their accomplishments on the ballfield, and their modest, classy sportsmanship. "Iron Man" Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn, eight-time NL batting champion, are among the rare breed of superstars who defy Leo Durocher's dictum that "nice guys finish last." Both men were elected on their first opportunity and received among the highest-ever percentages of votes; see MLB.com. Goose Gossage didn't make the cut, but he edged closer to the 75% threshhold, and may finally make it next year. Mark McGwire was way down the list, but he's got plenty of chances yet to come. Like most people, I have mixed feelings about McGwire. I suppose we'll never come up with a satisfactory way to resolve the Dope Dilemma: to forgive and reward those who 'fess up, or to punish anyone suspected of artificial body enhancements, which would only keep the problem hidden under the rug.

Today's Washington Post had a good background piece on Ripken, noting that his "431 home runs and 3,184 hits were more a testament to hard work, durability and longenvity than to sheer talent or jaw-dropping power." (In that sense, ironically, he's a lot like Pete Rose.) Ripken will rank number one among all Hall of Famers in terms of total games played (3,001), consecutive games (2,632), fielding percentage for shortstops (.979), and appearances on All Star teams (19). His lifetime batting average was well below Gwynn's, however: .276 vs. .338. Both Ripken and Gwynn spent their entire careers with one team, near their home towns. It's like they were twin brothers or something...

January 9, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Chavez marches toward socialism

On the eve of his third inaugural ceremonies, Hugo Chavez declared that Venezuela would nationalize the electrical and telecommunications utilities, some of which are owned by U.S. companies. This was presented as part of his campaign to transform into a socialist state. "We are in an existential moment of Venezuelan life. We're heading toward socialism, and nothing and no one can prevent it." Basically, he is striving to reverse all of the privatizations that took place in the 1990s, when the government was struggling to regain solvency. As soon as he is inaugurated again, Chavez plans to travel to Nicaragua and discuss plans with new president Daniel Ortega. Venezuela will provide resource "loans" to pay for a variety of infrastructure, health, education, agricultural, and housing projects. CNN.com

After OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza took exception to the license of Radio Caracas Television not being renewed (because it favors the opposition), Chavez called him "stupid." In response, OAS foreign ministers rallied to Insulza's support, led by Chile. As a result of these latest verbal outbursts, the stock market in Caracas dropped by nearly 19%. See El Universal. Chavez probably isn't too worried about the capital markets, figuring that he can do anything he wants with all that oil money coming in. Somehow, he is managing to sustain the momentum of radical anti-imperialist, keeping people agitated by heated words and ever-more precipitous policy changes.

Meanwhile, in the U.S.A., Joe Kennedy has been appearing on television ads for CITGO, drawing attention to the fuel oil assistance program. Too bad it's been such a mild winter so far...

January 9, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Changing of the Pentagon brass

As President Bush prepares to deliver another major policy address on Iraq, it is worth taking a look at the reshuffling of the military command structure in the past week, and what may have led up to it. In a press conference last June, he replied to a question on the possible withdrawal of two U.S. brigades by saying, "But in terms of our troop presence there, that decision will be made by General [George] Casey, as well as the sovereign government of Iraq, based upon conditions on the ground."

Last week, however, we learned that Gen. Casey is stepping down as commander of the multinational forces in Iraq. Is that because he resisted the "surge" in troop strength? He will be replaced by Army Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, who has experience leading the 101st Airborne Division in Iraq. Meanwhile, Navy Adm. William J. Fallon will replace Gen. John P. Abizaid as head the U.S. Central Command, which overseas all U.S. forces in the Middle East. Abizaid had likewise expressed caution about the utility of additional U.S. troops in Iraq. The Washington Post reports that "deep divisions remain between the White House on one side and the Joint Chiefs and congressional leaders on the other about whether a surge of up to 20,000 troops will turn around the deteriorating situation..."

I share the skepticism that a marginal (15%) increase in troop strength will have much impact on the "battlefield," but it all depends upon how the extra troops are used. If Bush really is serious about inflicting a decisive defeat against the Sunni militias and their al Qaeda allies, he will have to lift restrictions on the use of firepower. He will also have to confront Iran, one way or another. I heard on C-SPAN that the U.S. Navy is sending additional ships into the Persian Gulf, including minesweepers. Are we preparing to impose a naval blockade on Iran, or perhaps even seize the Kharg Island oil terminal? That would certainly put pressure on President Ahmadinejad to back down on his nuclear bluster, but it might also unleash a regional war with potentially catastrophic consequences.

On Capitol Hill, meanwhile, Sen. Ted Kennedy is threatening to submit a resolution that would bar funding for any increased troop levels. Is he nostalgic for the early 1970s? Even though the planned troop surge seems to be very unpopular, hardly anyone favors the drastic measure of a funding cutoff. This situation illustrates, once again, the bizarre circumstances in which the executive and legsilative functions related to war have been reversed in modern U.S. history. Whereas the legislative branch is constitutionally empowered with the discretion to go to war or not, in recent decades Congress has passed the buck to the president. On the other hand, tactical decisions about deployments and such are coming under increasing scrutiny by the Congress, even though the president is the commander in chief. I believe this messy, confusing situation would not have come to pass if Congress had passed a declaration of war against Iraq in 2003, rather than leaving it up to President Bush.

U.S. bombs terrorists in Somalia

American AC-130 gunships have launched air strikes against a secret al Qaeda base in Somalia, thanks to intelligence tips from Ethiopia. It is impossible to say, however, whether they killed the leader who was complicit in the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam in 1998. Special Forces units are also involved. See BBC. While this is certainly good news in the fight against terrorism, this raises the awkward question of whether the United States encouraged Ethiopia to take control of Somalia last month. There would be ample justification for such a move, but it would still put at risk our diplomatic relations with other countries in that region. Proceeding in a unilateral fashion undercuts any multilateral effort to save the people of Darfur against the marauding militias in Sudan.

January 10, 2007 [LINK / comment]

River cleanup near the ballpark

Folks who have lived in the Washington metropolitan area know that the Anacostia River has a reputation as a filthy place in a dangerous part of the city. Decades of unregulated industrial waste poisoned fish and the birds that feed on them. Because of antiquated sewer lines, moreover, the stench often becomes unbearable after heavy rain storms. It's too bad, because it was once a prime habitat for birds and other wildlife, and I even saw a Great egret there, very close to the RFK Stadium parking lot in June 2004. The National Arboretum, Kenilworth Gardens, and Anacostia Park are just a few of the outdoor attractions along the city's "other" river. Tuesday's Washington Post reviewed the status of the Anacostia River and plans for its restoration. The new stadium being built for the Washington Nationals is a key part of the long-term development plans along the river. An official in charge of the project put it very well: "The whole purpose here is to think of the river as a great centerpiece of the city and not a dividing line."

Exactly. If the stadium does not serve to rebuild the fractured sense of community in Our Nation's Capital, all those millions of public dollars will have been wasted. It reminds one of the situation in Pittsburgh in the 1970s, when the steel industry was crumbling, and far-sighted planners pushed for a massive cleanup effort that turned the area around Three Rivers Stadium into a veritable tourist mecca, attracting yuppies by the thousands. In Washington, by the same token, the Nationals' future stadium could do wonders for the Anacostia River by drawing attention to it, making its cleanup a higher priority. When I was at the construction site a couple weeks ago I noticed across the street that there is pedestrian access to the shore and boat piers, which will presumably be spiffed up considerably once the construction is finished. Eventually, I expect that there will be boat taxi service to baseball games from Alexandria and Georgetown.

That article also mentioned the plans for building a new soccer stadium for D.C. United on the other side of the river at Poplar Point. That franchise has just been purchased, and the new owners are said to be more interested in stadium-related development projects than in soccer per se. Hmmm...

January 10, 2007 [LINK / comment]

What's in Staunton's water?

That's what Slantblog asked in mocking reference to last week's blogosphere flap, so I thought I would do some objective, empirical research on the matter. I used CLR Enhanced Calcium, Lime & Rust Remover to clean out the mineral scum from our teapot yesterday, and this is the residue after it evaporated. It's about a tablespoon in volume, representing six or so months of buildup. I may want to have this sample tested in a chemistry lab just to be sure what's in there.

On a more serious note, a few months ago the Environmental Protection Agency presented the Region 3 Professional Operator Excellence Award to Christopher J. DeWald, the recently retired head of Staunton's water treatment plant. Region 3 includes Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, and Virginia, so this is a noteworthy accomplishment.

January 10, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Kaine's State of the State speech

Gov. Tim Kaine gave his first State of the State this evening, live from Jamestown, marking the beginning of the 400th anniversary of the founding of the first colony in Virginia in 1607. It was almost one year ago that he was inaugurated in nearby Williamsburg. In tonight's speech he tried hard to maintain a positive attitude, and he mostly succeeded. I was pleased that he acknowledged that there is a link between the transportation problem and local land use policies. The Republicans apparently convinced him on that count, at least. Unfortunately, he kept talking in terms of meeting "needs," claiming that solving the problem means finding sufficient revenues. No, Governor Kaine. It is a matter of reforming structural incentives so that localities no longer can count on getting bailed out by the government in Richmond for the traffic consequences of the sprawling development for which they themselves are responsible. No more blank checks!

For much of the rest of his speech Kaine cited a laundry list of liberal do-gooder projects, such as his beloved pre-school care proposal. His statement that the "success of our children" is a "bipartisan value" we can all agree on was, to be perfectly blunt, pure malarkey. Early childhood development is not a matter of "success" and "failure" like high school and college are. It is, rather, a matter of building social skills and imbuing youngsters with a sense of identity and self-worth. It is a task best handled at the household and neighborhood level. Are we going to subject toddlers to the same kind of regimented standardized-test criteria that older children are already forced to endure? Then there was expanded medical insurance, and of course he glossed over the fact that such entitlements do not apply to illegal immigrant workers. (In contrast, Gov. Schwarzenegger just came out with a proposal to make such benefits apply to everyone, regardless of legal status!) Immigration is one of our biggest problems, but Gov. Kaine barely touched on it, which is a gross dereliction of duty. Finally, I could not believe he actually implied that a person earning the minimum wage ought to be able to afford to purchase a home. The only place where that is possible is in Utopia -- which means "nowhere."

All in all, Kaine's speech gave little or no indication that he is familiar with the conservative critique of social engineering, or even aware of the fact that most Virginians -- and their legislators in Richmond -- subscribe to conservative principles. It would seem that his big grin is emblematic of a truly deluded view of reality. I do have to give the Governor credit, however, for emphasizing the need to provide incentives to preserve our precious heritage of natural beauty and rural tranquility. Family farms should get sufficient tax consideration so they do not have to sell off their land to make room for more subdivisions full of McMansions. On that, I think, a large majority of liberals and conservatives can at least agree.

January 10, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Bush ups the ante, belatedly

Most of us didn't have very high hopes for President Bush's speech on Iraq tonight, so at least he didn't disappoint us. He says he will send 21,500 more troops to Iraq, mostly to Baghdad, explaining that this time it will yield victory because we will have enough troops to keep patrolling hostile neighborhoods after they have been pacified. Thus far, the campaign against the terrorist-insurgents has been like a game of Whack-a-mole, where the bad guys keep popping up in a different location every time. There will be only about one extra U.S. soldier for every 500 residents of Baghdad, however. Will anyone notice the difference? I would expect at least some military progress in the next few months, but what about after that? This "surge" is by its very nature temporary, and the enemy can easily outlast us.

On the PBS post-speech analysis, Generals William Odom and Bernard Trainor both expressed dismay at the lack of any meaningful strategic readjustment. They noted that Bush did make a reference to Iran as the main source of the insurgency, but he didn't offer any way to counter that threat. Nor did he make much of an effort to specify who the enemy is. We are left to conclude that Bush is hoping against hope, putting the rest of his chips on the table to back up his original decision to stake his presidency on the outcome of the war in Iraq. Since we are committing what little is left of the U.S. reserve forces to Iraq, we had better hope like hell that North Korea or China don't challenge us with a precipitous military action. We wouldn't be able to do much about it, short of a nuclear retaliation.

On a political level, the President's strategy is puzzling. He knows that he lacks support in Congress and in the American public for escalating the conflict, so why is he going out on a limb? If the whole point of the war is to demonstrate America's resolve to take the battle to the enemy heartland, why would he risk national unity in this way? If things go awry, domestic divisions might become almost as bad as during the Vietnam War, even though casualties are much lower. As for as relations with the Iraqi government, telling Prime Minister Maliki at this late date that our military commitment is not unlimited is almost beside the point. That should have been made explicit at least a year or two ago. For the record, I support a continued military effort in Iraq, but I doubt that sending more troops at this time will encourage the Iraqi government to pick up the slack.

Dissent in the ranks?

Speaking of the Vietnam War, in The Nation, Marc Cooper depicts what he sees as a burgeoning movement of dissident soldiers opposed to the war in Iraq. Lt. Cmdr. Mark Dearden is leading an "Appeal for Redress," a petition for prompt withdrawal from Iraq that will be submitted to Congress later this month. There is also a Web site with a similar theme that was established by Sgt. Ronn Cantu: soldiervoices.net. There is one big difference between Iraq and Vietnam, of course: this time around, there is no draft!

January 11, 2007 [LINK / comment]

ESPN ranks the best ballparks

It would be hard for me to argue with Tim Kurkjian, whose brief article appeared in ESPN The Magazine. Of his favorite park, he writes: "Squeezed into the Fenway section of Boston, it's old, cramped and irritable, but there's no better place, no more intimate setting, for a baseball game." As for the other top five current baseball stadiums, his list matches mine, but in slightly different [reverse!] order. My rankings (excluding defunct ballparks) are in parentheses; see my Stadium rankings page, which is need of updating.

• Fenway Park (1st -- 8.0)
• Oriole Park at Camden Yards (5th -- 7.4)
• PNC Park (4th -- 7.6)
• Wrigley Field (T 2nd -- 7.8)
• AT&T Park (T 2nd -- 7.8)

Bonds faces more dope charges

This time Barry Bonds is accused of using amphetamines, not steroids. He denied reports that he got the pills from fellow Giant Mark Sweeney, but strangely enough he did not deny testing positive in a drug test last season. He apologized If the charges are corroborated, it could result in revision or nullification of his new contract with the Giants. See ESPN. What next?

Nationals let Robinson go

The Washington Nationals have decided not to offer Frank Robinson a paying job in the front office, and he let it be known -- in a dignified way, of course -- that he is less than pleased about it. See Washington Post. To me, the Nats' front office seems extremely short-sighted, not retaining the services of a guy who has so much goodwill and symbolized the rebirth of baseball in Washington. I hope they reconsider their decision.

January 11, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Ortega is inaugurated again

Daniel Ortega, the Sandinista leader who turned Nicaragua into a Marxist-Leninist state in the 1980s, has been inaugurated president. Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales were among the attendees. Ortega had campaigned as a moderate leftist, along the lines of Brazil's "Lula," but his inaugural speech was filled with defiant words aimed at rallying his leftist supporters, as he pledged common cause with Chavez. Ortega "has said he will respect private business and support CAFTA," and so far there is no panic among investors. See CNN.com.

Managua's La Prensa (in Spanish) had a detailed analysis of Ortega's inaugural address. He called for a "new road" for Nicaragua, saying the "neoliberal model" had failed to meet the needs of the country's poor people. He claimed that illiteracy has risen from 12% when he left office in 1990, to 35% now. He vowed to join the "Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas" created by Hugo Chavez. He did at least recognize that the DR-CAFTA free trade pact had paved the way for a major increase in Nicaraguan exports, and he tried to ally fears of the business sector. Finally, he made an implicit plea to would-be land squatters to refrain from invading land parcels, saying that institutional mechanisms should be created to redistribute land more evenly.

So what is Ortega really up to? Like Peru's Alan Garcia, I'm sure he is older and wiser, having learned some hard lessons from the 1980s, so he is probably not as radical as he used to be. Like all politicians, he must appeal to his "base" first and foremost, and he knows that he can gain attention and negotiating leverage by raising rhetorical hell every once in a while. Some people say that's all Hugo Chavez is really doing, but I think the ego-inflated Chavez is deadly serious about his agenda.

January 11, 2007 [LINK / comment]

iPhone: Apple does it again!

What won't they think of next?! Actually, most of us have been anticipating an all-in-one device like the iPhone for the last few years. "It slices, it dices, ..." Basically, it combines the functions of a cell phone, an iPod (with video), e-mail, and a real Web browser -- not one of those bare-bones Web readers found on newer cell phones. The touch-screen interface is one of the best features, allowing a bigger screen, and allowing users to type text without physical keys. The Google map and weather features will be very useful, and the automatic light and orientation sensors (which regulate the screen appearance) are superb innovation as well. What I found most astonishing was that the thing runs Mac OS X, allowing it to multi-task in an efficient manner! It definitely looks cool, and I'm sure it will be another big hit, but I wonder if talking into the silver box will seem strange for people used to talking into normal cell phones. And where's the antenna? For now at least, Cingular has exclusive rights to cell phone service with the iPhone. That makes sense, since they came out with a cell phone last year that works with Apple's iTunes program. For all the details, see apple.com. In connection with the new product announcements at the MacWorld show in San Francisco, the company is no longer called "Apple Computer, Inc.," but just "Apple, Inc." Nevertheless, they are gaining market share as more people get fed up with the security flaws and crappy functionality of "Wintel" machines. Will Vista change that?

Jobs' stock options

The iPhone announcement came at an awkward time for Steve Jobs, whose image as a high-tech rock star was tarnished after reports of securities infractions. As part of his incentive compensation package, he received 10 million Apple stock options on Jan. 12, 2000, but some of the options were apparently backdated to take advantage of lower prices. Such practices are considered improper, but not necessarily illegal. See Washington Post. In my mind, the very notion of stock options constitutes a moral hazard bordering on fraud.

January 12, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Violence spreads in Bolivia

At least two people died in Cochabamba after supporters of President Evo Morales (mostly peasants) launched fierce protests to demand the resignation of Governor Gov. Manfred Reyes Villa. Gov. Reyes is a former mayor of the city and was a right-wing candidate for president under the "New Republican Force" in 2005. This represents an escalation in the mortal showdown between Morales and the poltical establishment in Bolivia, which currently wields power primarily at the provincial level. See CNN.com. The separatist movements that began in Santa Cruz last year spread to other provinces last month, and Morales has decided to unleash his mobs to fight back and attain complete contro of the country. At issue is widespread resistance to the proposed constitutional revision, which Morales justifies in terms of giving power back to the Indian people, but which would remove almost all restraints on power wielded by the central government in La Paz. In other words, it is the same thing Hugo Chavez is trying to do in Venezuela. According to bolivia.com (in Spanish), the roadblocks put up by the demonstrators have been removed. This situation resembles what has been happening in Oaxaca, Mexico for the past eight months, as leftist demonstrators try to force the incumbent governor to resign.

Latin America country archives

I have upgraded the functionality of the Latin America 2006 archives page by creating separate annual archive pages for each country. [This new archive retrieval system] picks blog posts based on the occurrence of the name near the top of each blog post, so it will omit posts in which the country was mentioned toward the latter part of the blog post. [In fact, for some smaller countries, there may be zero posts for the entire year!] Still, it's a good way to quickly find out the most important things that happened in each country on a year-by-year basis. Country archive pages for 2005 will be coming soon.

January 12, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Best photos of 2006

As I did last year, I have compiled on one page the Best photos of 2006. [There are 18 of them in all.] The very best one, I've decided, is this montage of birds at the National Zoo in Washington and the National Aquarium in Baltimore. I originally posted it on Aug. 15.

January 12, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Hitchens on Ellison's Koran

Rep. Keith Ellison had a clever way to punctuate his high-toned response to the Virgil Goode flap last month: He took the ceremonial oath on a copy of the version of the Koran that Thomas Jefferson edited. (Most Virginians know that Jefferson published his own version of the New Testament, deleting supernatural events and other things he didn't like.) Boy, did Keith Ellison show Virgil Goode!

Or did he? Christopher Hitchens has an apt retort to the pious pleas by new Rep. Keith Ellison for more tolerance in America:

In the first place, concern over Ellison's political and religious background has little to do with his formal adherence to Islam. In his student days and subsequently, he was a supporter of Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam, a racist and crackpot cult organization that is in schism with the Muslim faith...

Now Rep. Goode doesn't look so bad, in relative terms. (Hat tip to Michael Oliver). Suffice it to say that Mr. Jefferson would not have looked kindly upon such a sect espousing intolerant, absolutist views. Hitchens also notes the irony that Jefferson was the first president to go to war with the Islamic world, launching punitive attacks on the Barbary states in North Africa -- as in "the shores of Tripoli." Jefferson may have been galvanized into action by hearing how Tripoli's envoy to London used the Koran to justify going to war against "infidel" nations, and taking slaves from them.

Hillary losing ground

According to the Washington Times, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's popularity has fallen in several key states. (Hat tip to Patrick Carne.) She has distinguished herself from the rest of her party by voicing clear support for fighting terrorists in the Middle East, so perhaps Bush's "surge" strategy may be dragging her down in the polls, ironically.

January 12, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Reactions to Bush's surge speech

Since President Bush decided to cast aside the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group and plunge boldly ahead toward an uncertain victory, he has been criticized across the board. But most people aren't really surprised by his defiant stance, so the response has had the air of resigned fatalism. The partisan pundits of the Right such as Rush Limbaugh are becoming more shrill in their denunciations of war critics, as the polarizing effect of the escalation sharpens. Even they seem to have forgotten the fundamental political requirement of meaningful victory over the Islamo-fascists: that public opinion in this country be mobilized in support of the military effort. Failing that, there is not much point to launching another offensive.

In today's Washington Post, Zbigniew Brzezinski, cites "five flaws" in the President's plan. He criticizes Bush for "demagogic oversimplification" (which I think is a bit harsh) and calls the 21,500-troop surge "a political gimmick of limited tactical significance and no strategic benefit." He also calls attention to the irony of subjecting a "sovereign" government to U.S.-determined benchmarks, and concludes by bemoaning that the United States is becoming a colonial power in a post-colonial era.

Just before Bush's speech, Donald Sensing wrote: "I am, for the first time, deeply pessimistic about the future of this country." He blames the lack of leadership in both parties for the failure to respond creatively to this historical crisis point:

We can still prevail in Iraq, but that would require our president to speak straight to us about what it will take and a Congress that turn its eyes away from "the children" (meaning more big spending programs and federal control of our daily lives) and toward building the military numerically and deciding that once again, partisanship stops at the ocean's edge. But that won't happen, see above.

When one of the most reliable and sensible observers of military affairs writes words like that, you know we are in trouble.

January 13, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Fred Thompson for president?

That's what Stephen Bainbridge wants, and it sure makes sense to me. (via Instapundit) Thompson had a cautiously upbeat take on President Bush's "surge" speech, which he thought demonstrated a "new attitude." See National Review. (It didn't strike me as very new.) Well, partisan loyalty is a virtue -- at least for those who are running for office. I don't make much of the fact that Thompson is an accomplished actor (in movies and on NBC's Law and Order), but I do think he is the kind of no-nonsense mainstream conservative who could appeal to a wide range of voters. I ranked Newt Gingrich at the top of my list of prospective GOP candidates last month, and Thompson would be a strong second at this point.

January 13, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Isabel Peron is arrested in Spain

The former Argentine President Isabel Peron was placed under arrest for three hours in Madrid, as part of the Argentine government's investigation into human rights abuses of that era. She may be extradited back to her home country, after 26 years in exile. She succeeded her husband Juan Peron after he died in 1974, but failed to cope with rising political violence and inflation, so the generals decided to depose her in March 1976. It is possible that she bears some responsibility for the infamous "Dirty War," because she signed a decree that authorized a brutal crackdown on leftist dissidents. This gave rise to the formation of the "Argentina Anticommunist Alliance," an instrument of state terror. See CNN.com. Anything Isabel did paled in comparison to the horrors that transpired after she was thrown out of office, however. Isabel was never admired as much as her husband or his first wife Evita, so there are probably not many people willing to go out of their way to defend her.

January 13, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Air Florida crash, 25 years later

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 into the Potomac River, in blizzard conditions. A total of 78 people died, including four people in cars on the bridge, and five people were rescued. One of the biggest heroes that day in 1982 was Lenny Skutnik, who was hailed by President Reagan during the State of the Union speech soon thereafter. Today's Washington Post recounted the amazing feats of courage of Skutnik -- a decent, modest guy who was uncomfortable with all the praise -- and what has become of him and others. Yesterday's Post described the tragic flight itself, and what caused it. Mostly, it was a failure to ensure proper de-icing. Safety became a prime concern in the airline industry after that.

I worked in Washington back then, and I crossed the Potomac River very close to where the plane wreck had occurred within a half hour or so of when it happened. Ordinarily I took Metro home, but there was a fatal subway accident that forced major delays, so I caught a ride home with my friend Donna Ball. It is hard to describe to sickening sense of horror we felt as we passed all of the emergency vehicles, as rescue efforts were still underway. Several days later on the way into work, I saw the tail section of the Air Florida jet as it was being hoisted out of the water. It was all so surreal. Some of wondered what would happen if a jet ever crashed into the Pentagon...

Speaking of Donna, she has shown some signs of improvement as she gets follow-up treatment for the Wegener's Granulomatosis (see last May), but is now suffering from further complications. She hasn't let that stop her from going back to work, however. We'll keep praying for her to recover.

January 15, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Bobby Murcer is gravely ill

Former Yankee Bobby Murcer disclosed that he has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor after undergoing tests last month. He was selected for the All Star game five times, and has been a broadcast announcer for the Yankees since retiring. He played a total of 13 seasons with the Yankees from 1965 to 1983. He finished his career with 252 home runs and a .277 batting average. He also played for the Giants and the Cubs. See New York Times. It is especially noteworthy that he replaced fellow Oklahoman Mickey Mantle in center field.

Ballpark controversy in Miami

The Florida Marlins are still pushing hard for a new stadium in downtown Miami, but the state legislature would still have to approve money for it, and that is a very uncertain prospect. The officially designated "blighted neighborhood" would have to be expanded to encompass the plot of land where the stadium would be built so that it would qualify for tax breaks via the Community Redevelopment Agency. Miami Mayor Manny Diaz is touting the economic development benefits, but folks who were hoping that such funds would be used for new low-income housing are very angry, needless to say. See Miami Herald, via Neil deMause, who says this news casts doubt on the whole project; see baseballprospectus.com. Hat tip to Mike Zurawski. Why do stadium projects have to rely upon some obscure tax law gimmick?

Bowl game in Canada?

Matt Bahm informs me that Rogers Centre in Toronto played host to the inaugural International Bowl on January 6, the first time an NCAA football game has been played in Canada. Is this another side-effect of global warming?

UPDATE: Details on the Cincinnati Bearcats' 27-24 victory over the Western Michigan Broncos can be found at: TSN.ca.

January 15, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Martin Luther King's birthday

The Rev. Martin Luther King would have turned 78 today had his life not been cut short by an assassin's bullet. More importantly, our nation would no doubt have achieved much greater progress toward racial harmony and social peace. His widow Coretta Scott King (who died last year) wrote an essay on the meaning of the holiday, on the Web site of The King Center, which is headquartered in Atlanta. She stresses that this day is not just to remember her husband, but is "above all a day of service," as a way to motivate citizens to help those who are less fortunate or have been victimized.

King's contribution was not just in bringing about justice for his people, but in maintaining a dignified, statesmanlike attitude, foreswearing any vengeance or score-settling. It was a model for South Africa's Nelson Mandela to follow. Neither man was ever a demagogic rabble-rouser. It is sad that some politicians opposed the creation of a holiday in honor of Rev. King, and that people still question the appropriateness of a national holiday in his honor. Think about it: What other leader in American history other than presidents or generals ever achieved as much greatness as he did?

January 15, 2007 [LINK / comment]

The roots of multiculturalism

Many people are perplexed at how it came to be than so many Europeans, and even Americans, so deeply loathe their own culture that they are willing to surrender to hostile immigrants, many of whom are Islamic. (You don't have to agree with everything Pat Buchanan says to recognize that such trends are real.) Aren't the artistic and cultural heritage of Western Civilization worth defending? [At Baron Bodissey's Gates of Vienna blog, "Fjordman"] reviews the early 20th Century history of cultural Marxist "critical theory" expounded by the Frankfurt school, as well as the social theorists Antonio Gramsci (Italian), and Georg Lukacs (Hungarian), who are conventionally regarded as the source of this self-hatred. In some universities, those names are as sacrosanct as Saint Thomas Aquinas or Cardinal John Henry Newman are in the Catholic Church. Many leftists concluded that the only way to overthrow capitalism was to subvert its moral underpinnings. [Fjordman] argues convincingly, however, that multiculturalism really goes much further back, and has its origins in the writings of such Enlightenment figures as Montaigne, Voltaire, and Edward Gibbon. As he writes:

In some ways, what is going on now surpasses the downfall of the Roman Empire. It has never happened before in human history that an ethnic group voluntarily finances other ethnic groups to advance their culture on their territory to the detriment of their own people. Native Europeans are paying people who openly declare to be our enemies to eradicate our civilization and are told to celebrate this as tolerance.

I wouldn't go quite that far. Indeed, tolerance and respect for minority rights* are part and parcel of what defines our Anglo-American socio-political heritage. But no value can be taken to an extreme without impinging upon other values, and there has to be a reasonable balance struck. As the book by Richard Posner reminds us, the Lockean liberal principles that underlie our political system should not be regarded as a "suicide pact."

* an appropriate theme to recall on Martin Luther King's birthday.

UPDATE: I had intended to mention that one of the first political theorists to propound the notion that subversive, anti-Western attitudes emanated from the Enlightenment was Eric Voegelin, who wrote The New Science of Politics (1952). In his mind, Marxist revolutionary thought and action had their origins in people like Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

January 15, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Mountain-top hawks & ravens

On Saturday I ventured into new territory in the western part of Augusta County. First I did a little bit of hiking on the eastern slope of Elliott Knob, and then did the quick boardwalk loop at Augusta Springs, but not much was happening at either place. Then I headed south and climbed along a gravel road to the top of Little North Mountain, passing through Troxel Gap. It was higher than I expected and provided some great views. At the very top near some communications relay towers I came across a very loud group of Ravens that were feeding on a carcass, as well as a Red-tailed hawk. The drive home was very interesting, as I passed through the towns of McKinley and Middlebrook, and saw many picturesque farms. (Later that day, the Baltimore Ravens lost to the Indianapolis Colts, which was fine with me.) Here are the highlights:

• Kestrels
• Downy woodpecker
• Golden-crowned kinglet
• Sharp-shinned hawk
• Ravens
• Red-tailed hawk
• Bluebirds

Speaking of hawks, I saw a Sharp-shinned hawk behind the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad this morning, and it's probably the same one that has been menacing birds in our back yard for the past couple days.

Parrots in Brooklyn!?

Yes, it's true. I have read reports about this amazing case of avian adaptability, and learned (via The Neighborhood of God *) that there is a Web site dedicated to them: brooklynparrots.com.

* UPDATE: I was curious about the origin of that blog's name, and (after Googling) I found the poem "Friend In The Desolate Time" by Erik Johan Stagnelius at poemhunter.com. It concludes:

Therefore, rejoice, oh friend, and sing in the darkness of sorrow:
Night is the mother of day, Chaos the neighbor of God.

January 16, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Correa inaugurated in Ecuador

Rafael Correa took the oath of office as president of Ecuador. Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, Bolivia's Evo Morales, and Nicaragua's Daniel Ortega were all present for the ceremonies. That makes three inaugurations in Latin America this month alone: it certainly has been a busy travel month for Latin American presidents! Also attending was Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Ecuador is a minor oil producer and used to be a member of OPEC, so Iran may be trying to extend its influence in the Third World. The young (age 43) populist leader, who has a Ph.D. in Economics, calls for a "citizens' revolution," saying he wants to hold a referendum on rewriting the constitution, as has been done in Venezuela and Bolivia. He blames the traditional parties, but they problem is not that they are too strong, as he says, but that they are too weak and fragmented. The established parties do enjoy the prerogative to name judicial candidates, which seems odd by North American standards. He has attacked the Congress as a "sewer of corruption," which is a dangerous tactic given that the last three presidents of Ecuador have been removed from power by Congress. He also wants to create districts for congressmen, who are currently elected on a nationwide basis. CNN.com and the BBC.

Actually, some of Correa's criticisms may not be far off the mark, but without a strong political organization behind him, it is hard to see how he can get much done. On one hand, he does offer hope for a fresh start for his crisis-weary people. But there remains the big question of whether he will emulate pragmatism à la Brazil's da Silva, or opt for radicalism, à la Venezuela's Chavez. Like Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua, the left-wing populist is straddling a precarious line between the two approaches. In terms of foreign policy, it will be very interesting to see whether Correa condemns the United States as Chavez has done. He says he will not renew the lease on a U.S. air base used for drug traffic monitoring, but he might be persuaded if the offere were sweet enough. Another question is whether he will seek friendly relations with Peru, with which a long border dispute was finally resolved a few years ago. The Ecuador page has been updated, as has the Current situation page.

January 17, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Nationals rebuild roster, slowly

As the deadline approached, the Washington Nationals made offers to the five players who are eligible for arbitration: right-hand pitchers Chad Cordero and John Patterson, outfielders Alex Escobar and Austin Kearns, and infielder Felipe Lopez. (He is expected to shift to second base this year, now that shortstop Cristian Guzman is healed.) Based on the spread between what they are offering and what the players are asking, it seems that Cordero is their top priority, which is appropriate. See MLB.com. Cordero only made $525,000 last year, and will get at least six times that this year. I'm more worried, however, that the Nats might lose Patterson, who is asking more than twice what they are offering. As things presently stand, he is the only solid pitcher in the Nats' rotation, and the pitching staff desperately needs an "anchor." Michael O'Connor and Shawn Hill, two pitchers who showed moments of brillance as rookies last year, also signed contracts, which is great news. They will probably start on a semi-regular basis. The value-conscious Nats front office also signed outfielder Chris Snelling, and pitchers Jerome Williams and Brandon Claussen -- all relative unknowns. (Has Jim Bowden read Moneyball, emulating the Oakland A's?) Long-term prospects are bright, but in the short-term the Nationals are looking more like a minor league team than even the Expos did! Two thousand seven will be a trying time for Nats fans...

Hall of Fame pitcher and former Braves announcer Don Sutton has signed up to do the color commentary for the Nationals on MASN this year. He overcame cancer a couple years ago, and is a classy, admirable guy for the job.

Stadium politicking: Fremont

Oakland Athletics co-owner Lew Wolff promoted his plan for a new ballpark at a meeting of the Fremont City Council. Some fans from Oakland who don't want the team to move showed up to protest. See yahoo.com. Wolff's notion of emulating the neighborhood ambience of Fenway Park and Wrigley Field seems ridiculous to me, especially since they have been touting "Cisco Field" as a high-tech wonder. Hat tip to Bruce Orser.

Stadium politicking: Miami

There is even more buzzing and haggling over the stadium proposal in Miami, and MLB executive Bob DuPuy is getting involved, as ESPN reports. DuPuy said,

Everyone is working very hard to get this realized. The hope is that we can get all the planets and sun and moon aligned and get this to fruition.

Given that he used virtually those same exact words in 2002 (or perhaps 2003, I'll check), referring to the expected relocation of the Expos to Washington -- an excuse for stalling, basically -- one might conclude that a new stadium deal for Miami is two years away. (What is that thing he has with astrology?) Hat tip to Mke Zurawski.

January 17, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Obama-mania begins!

Sen. Barack Hussein Obama -- a.k.a., "Barry," as his college friends called him -- has set up an exploratory committee for a presidential campaign in 2008, and from the way the press talks, you'd think he was a shoe-in. All of a sudden, Hillary has lost her status as most likely Democratic nominee. Only three years ago, Obama was in the Illinois state legislature; ironically, he portrays his lack of experience in national politics as an asset. When elected to the U.S. Senate just over two years ago, he promised to serve his entire six-year term. Oh well, nobody's perfect... For more on this superstar's background, see the Washington Post. Aside from vague upbeat platitudes, it's hard to pin him down on policy issues. My main concern is that his fondness for old-style Big Government solutions would drag us back to the 1970s. It would also be a big shame if the first-ever African-American president had no family roots in the African-American experience of slavery and discrimination.

Previous blog posts on Obama: Feb. 7 (2nd item) and Dec. 5 last year, and July 28, 2004 (2nd item; his speech at the Democratic convention).

Someone should write a book on famous "media darlings" in history: Mikhail Gorbachev, John McCain, ...

January 17, 2007 [LINK / comment]

U.S. steps up pressure on Iran

In his speech last week, President Bush mentioned that an extra U.S. aircraft carrier and several batteries of Patriot missiles are being deployed to the Persian Gulf. Also, last week U.S. forces raided Iran's consulate in Irbil, in the Kurdish part of Iraq, and five Iranian officials were arrested on charges of supplying the Shiite insurgents. The gravest scenario, however, is a possible nuclear strike by Israel against Iran's nuclear processing plants. It would be like their spectacular knock-out blow against Iraq's nuclear facilities in 1981, except that it would probably launch World War III if the United States is complicit in it. See BBC. Taken together, those are clear indications of preparation for imminent combat, so Bush is clearly rattling his saber. I doubt, however, that even one in three Americans is aware of that very serious possibility.

So does this mean that Bush has declared "secret war" on Syria and Iran? Steve Clemons at The Washington Note seems to think so. He believes that the U.S. raid in Irbil "may have been designed to try and prompt a military response from Iran -- to generate a casus belli for further American action." (via Instapundit)

I have often argued that Iran must be confronted at some point, if Iraq is to have any chance at stability, quite aside from the nuclear proliferation threat. Prior to overt military action, however, if would be better to lay the diplomatic groundwork, showing that all peaceful alternatives had been exhausted. That is what the Iraq Study Group proposed, and even though the chances for meaningful dialogue are nil, sometimes you still have to make an effort for appearance's sake. The bottom line is that Iran's President Ahmadinejad poses an unacceptable threat to world peace, and it may not be possible to stop him short of war.

Bogus anti-war activism

So much for my effort to look at both sides of key issues. It turns out that the "Appeal for Redress" anti-war movement (which I mentioned in passing last week; scroll down) is to a large extent a concoction of a public relations firm hired by the same old left-wing crowd that we've known all along. (S.A.N.E., etc.) Also, the guy who did their Web site has had a long record of involvement in anti-war demonstrations before he joined the U.S. Navy! He was even active in organizing Louis Farrakhan's "Million Man March." See Mudville Gazette, which refers to this effort to create "fake grassroots" support as "AstroTurfing."

January 18, 2007 [LINK / comment]

"Enabling Act" in Venezuela

In 1934 the German Parliament passed the Enabling Act granting Adolph Hitler virtually unlimited power to rule by decree, supposedly for a four-year emergency period. There was a depression at the time, and many people thought it was the best way to take swift, effective action. Those who disagreed were bullied and beaten into submission, or else murdered. The same thing is now happening in Venezuela, where the voices of dissent are being systematically squelched. (See Jan. 9.) Today the National Assembly voted in favor of a measure that would grant Hugo Chavez the power to rule by decree for 18 months. The vote was unanimous, but that doesn't mean much because the opposition boycotted the last legislative elections in 2005. Chavez says the unlimited decree power is necessary for him to carry out his "21st Century socialist revolution." After a second vote is taken next week, the measure will go into effect, and the legislators will have effectively voted themselves out of a job. See the BBC

This happens as Chavez is in Rio de Janeiro for a MERCOSUR summit meeting. Will the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, and other countries in the region express displeasure at what Chavez is doing to his country? It is indeed a moment of truth for democracy in Latin America.

January 18, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Is Newt Gingrich a "RINO"?

Of course not! He does, however, exhibit a quality that is very rare in the Party of Lincoln these days: forthright, courageous candor. According to GOPUSA.com,

Gingrich blames flawed strategy for the Republicans' loss of both houses of Congress in the November election.

"A base-motivation party inherently, in the long run, drives away the non-base," Gingrich says.

He said he believes the party can build a durable governing majority but first must abandon the strategy of Karl Rove.

If anyone lacking his impeccable conservative credentials had said such words, they would have been driven out of the party. That is simply a reflection of the pathologically thick-headed way of thinking that prevails in the Republican Party at present. (See Nov. 16.) Perhaps Newt's bold words will rouse some docile (or misguided) party loyalists from their dazed stupor before it is too late.

January 19, 2007 [LINK / comment]

Goodbye Art Buchwald

I was probably the only teenager in my home town who read Art Buchwald's column. Most of the important aspects of the Watergate scandal I learned from him. After I moved to Washington, I kept up with the dizzying social intrigues behind the Reagan Revolution thanks to Art Buchwald. He had a goofy grin that concealed the severe hardships of growing up in a broken family. He was a World War II veteran, part of the Greatest Generation. He wrote in short, simple sentences in the guise of innocence that cloaked sophisticated wit. Some people initially took his deadpan satiric columns at face value, and were left utterly befuddled. Art Buchwald lived a charmed life, sharing his wit and spreading his sly wisdom about the way Washington really works. Nothing against P.J. O'Rourke or Dave Barry, but [very few humor] writers of today's cynical world match his depth of human pathos. Yesterday Art Buchwald died peacefully after spending almost a year in a hospice, and of course the Washington Post has all the details about his wonderful life of humor. I'll miss him very much.

January 20, 2007 [LINK / comment]

U.S. gasohol = expensive tortillas

Here is another reason to be skeptical of using ethanol made from corn to stretch our finite gasoline supplies: Rising demand for corn in the United States has caused tortilla prices to rise so much in Mexico that poor people are having a hard time making ends meet. In response, the government of Felipe Lopez signed an agreement with businesses aimed at putting a lid on the price of tortillas. He puts some of the blame on "price gouging" by wholesalers in Mexico, however, which is an unusual position for a conservative to take. See CNN.com. If only U.S. energy policy were based more on free market principles instead of arbitrary tax breaks and other gimmicks, there would be less pressure on the government of Mexico to respond to the resulting distortions by offsetting measures.

Chavez aids coca growers in Peru

This is not surprising: Hugo Chavez has been providing financial aid to Peruvian coca growers, no doubt with subversive political intentions. This was made public by Congresswoman Elsa Malpartida, one of the leaders of the coca growers movement who are gathering at a convention in the north central city of Tingo Maria attended by Defense Minister Allan Wagner. See La Republica (in Spanish).

January 21, 2007 [LINK / comment]

George at six years, and counting

Yesterday marked the sixth anniversary of the day we bought George (yes, as in Inauguration Day), so we consider it like a birthday. He has started singing again over the past week or two, but not very loudly or frequently. He has also started to molt, which is typically when birds are at a low energy level and therefore less inclined to sing or engage in other mating displays. For her part, Princess continues to flirt in the window, but not as vigorously as before. Nevertheless, they are both quite healthy and content, to our immense delight.

Here George is playing with the cotton thread that Princess uses to build her nest.

January 22, 2007 [LINK / comment]

The mail bag (getting full)

Mike Zurawski is doing a great job in keeping me up to date with the latest stadium news and commentary. First, Tim Marchand at the New York Sun reports that the 2008 All Star Game will probably be played in Yankee Stadium, in its final year of existence, and bids "Good Riddance to the House Ruth Didn't Build." I would be the last to deny that the 1974-1975 renovations pretty much ruined everything that was special about the original Yankee Stadium, but at least the basic structure was retained. Marchand is way off base, however, when he claims that removal of the supporting columns forced the upper decks to be recessed. Wrong! It may seem that way because additional rows were added in front of the lower deck, and in back of the upper deck, but the front edge of the second and third decks are in the same position as they originally were.

Second, the St. Louis Cardinals are spending $3 million on improvements to Busch Stadium (III) this year, mostly for additional escalators, seating at field level beyond the dugouts, and restrooms. In addition, the Baseball Writers' Association of America asked Major League Baseball not to award the 2009 All-Star Game to the Cardinals unless improvements to the press box are made. See St. Louis Business Journal. Well, excu-use me!

A's owner Lew Wolff says he wants to purchase 25 additional acres near the planned stadium site in Fremont, an apparent gesture to show he is serious about the project. Apparently he came across as too pushy in the recent city council meeting, and he is now trying to backtrack. See insidebayarea.com.

Finally, if Miami officials really are on the verge of a downtown baseball stadium deal, a lot of key people are still in the dark about it. The director of the Community Redevelopment Agency says that Mayor Manny Diaz has not discussed the matter with him. Very strange; see miamitodaynews.com.

Lopez signs with Nats

Felipe Lopez signed a one-year contract worth $3.9 million the Nationals, thereby avoiding arbitration. He will switch from shortstop to second base this year. Chad Cordero, John Patterson, Austin Kearns, and Alex Escobar are still in arbitration. See MLB.com.

DuPuy & astrology

Last week I noted that MLB executive Bob DuPuy used a peculiar phrase in reference to the ongoing stadium negotiations in Miami, and I found when he first used it. According to the July 24, 2003 issue of the Washington Times:

Bob DuPuy, MLB President, said last week the Expos will be moved when "the moon, the stars, the sun and the dollars are all aligned."

Anti-spam measures

I recently raised the anti-spam filter in my e-mail account, so some folks may have had their messages bounced. If so, I'm sorry. I fell behind with e-mail again during the holidays, and am gradually getting caught up. A meaningful subject line will be more likely to grab my attention.

January 22, 2007 [LINK / comment]

GOP compromise in Richmond

Will wonders never cease!? After many months of stalemate, it looks like the Republicans on either side of the Virginia General Assembly have decided to split the difference with each other over the contentious issue of transportation funding. Republicans in the House of Delegates favor a minimalist approach, loathing to subsidize congested urban areas of the state, which would only encourage more people to move there, causing more congestion, ad infinitum... Republicans in the Senate were more sensitive to deficiencies in the state's highway system, and hence were more inclined to pay for new roads and bridges. In a rational world, they would have been able to work out a compromise years ago, but instead they acted like their counterparts on the other side of the state Capitol building belonged to the other party. At long last, they have woken up to the disastrous course they have been on for the past few years and faced up to the possibility of losing power in next fall's state elections. Well, better late than never. As the Washington Post reports, "But another goal remained front and center: to sav