May 8, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Hillary's pandering fails

Having won the Indiana primary election by only a two-percent margin, Hillary Clinton's candidacy is fading fast, and Democrat insiders are calling on her to pull out of the race. Since she is over 100 delegates behind Barack Obama, she needed a decisive win to maintain the recent surge in momentum stemming from the Rev. Wright mess. Now Barack is back in the driver's seat, and only a major gaffe or scandal could ruin his chances now. The North Carolina primary wasn't even close.

The big question was whether Hillary could get traction by "out-pandering" Obama, mobilizing the traditional Democrat "base," consisting mainly of working class union members, and the answer seems to be no. Her advocacy of a "gasoline tax holiday" was classic unmitigated populist gall, eliciting harsh scorn from market-oriented policy wonks. Well, what do you expect? Expecting an Old School Democrat like Hillary (or Bill!) to refrain from pandering to populist impulses is like expecting a dog to refrain from chomping down on a raw steak; it's practically in their DNA. Hillary gave Obama the perfect opportunity to appear rational and statesmanlike, and he seized upon it eagerly, criticizing her "gas tax holiday" idea. For once I agreed with him on a major issue!

Nevertheless, Hillary is vowing to press on in the race, and I can't blame her. (See Washington Post.) She has come way too far in the campaign, and is too close in the total delegate count, to give up now. What's more, most polls are showing that she would do as well or better than Obama in the general election. Whatever you think about conservatives' hidden motives or the effects of Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos," the process must play itself out. There is no reason for it to get nasty, though that's probably just what will happen, given the high stakes involved. In the end, though, it probably won't matter, and Obama will almost certainly face a rested and refreshed -- though still vulnerable -- John McCain this fall.

Staunton, Waynesboro elections

In the Staunton City Council race (which is officially non-partisan), two Republicans won out of four contested seats: incumbent Dickie Bell and newcomer Andrea Oakes, who fell just short in her first such bid two years ago. Congratulations to both! So, at least conservatives will have a little more representation in the city government, which has been dominated by free-spenders for several years. One other incumbent won (David Metz), along with another newcomer: Ophie Kier, who somehow garnered an endorsement from Delegate Chris Saxman. Yard signs for Metz and Kier seemed to be associated with each other, suggesting they lean toward the Democrats' side. Two other men with ties to the GOP failed: Rusty Ashby, a financial advisor, and Bob Campbell, a country singer.

In the Sunday News Leader, there was a full-page newspaper ad by the "Citizens Committee for Common Sense Government in Staunton" (basically Libby Welsh, but possibly others) endorsing Bell, Ashby, and Campbell, and it appears that campaign finance laws may have been violated; see the News Leader.

In Waynesboro, where council members are elected according to ward, anti-tax conservatives won handily in two contested races (Bruce Allen and Frank Lucente) and picked up a third uncontested seat (David Williams). It was a high-profile campaign with many newspaper ads. This election result will bring about a major shift in that city's government, presumably meaning less public money for downtown redevelopment efforts. Chris Graham, of the Augusta Free Press, who ran against against Bruce Allen in Ward B, had received considerable support from Mayor Thomas Reynolds and from the head of the Wayne Theatre Alliance, Bill Hausrath. See the News Virginian.

May 7, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Nationals Park after one month

So far, Nationals Park seems to be fairly balanced as far as hitter-vs.-pitcher friendliness. For the first 18 games played at the new ballpark, there have been an average of 0.86 home runs per game, compared to the major league average of 0.94 homers. Surprisingly, given the shorter dimensions in the power alleys, it is almost exactly the same home run frequency as in RFK Stadium. For the three years the Nats played there, an average of 0.83 homers per game were hit. Given the fact that the Nationals are not known for their slugging prowess (last in the National League with 18 homers), it's just as well. See Washington Post.

Problems in Houston

Fresh on the heels of their superb 8-3 home stand, the Nationals have blown two games in a row to the Houston Astros. Last night, they were leading 5-4 going into the bottom of the ninth, and Houston scored two runs to win. Tonight they were tied in the ninth, whereupon Houston scored one run to win, once again due to sloppy relief pitching. D'oh! Ryan Zimmerman's two home runs went for nought.

Julio Franco retires

I was wondering what had become of Julio Franco as he approaches the mid-century mark, and learned from the Washington Post that he has retired from the Quintana Roo Tigers at the age of 49. (He had previously played in the Mexican League for a couple years before the Braves called him back up, which was a very smart move.) In his 23 years in the majors, Julio had an average of .298, with 173 home runs, the last one being in May 2007 against fellow-40-something Randy Johnson. I was lucky to snap a photo of his next-to-last home run, in RFK Stadium in September 2006. Baseball fans everywhere salute this inspirational, doggedly competitive ballplayer.

May 5, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Autonomy for eastern Bolivia?

By a vote of over 60 percent, the people of the state of Santa Cruz in Eastern Bolivia have approved a referendum that asserts more rights. It is a step toward a looser federation, but it may not have much practical effect, as the populist President Evo Morales has declared the vote "illegal." Santa Cruz is the wealthiest part of Bolivia and is a vital part of the nation's economy, because that is where most of the petroleum reserves are located, and the controversy over exporting hydrocarbons was one of the main issues that brought Morales to power. Morales is pushing for a vote to approve a major revision of the Bolivian constitution this month, aiming to centralize power in executive hands, supposedly for the sake of enhancing the rights of Indians in Bolivia. See Washington Post.

Since taking office two years ago, the young and energetic Morales has sharply polarized the nation of Bolivia by assuming despotic powers and using force against his opponents. He had urged his "grassroots" (mostly Indian) supporters to boycott the referendum, but even so an estimated 60 percent of eligible voters turned out. It is always ironic when demagogic leaders who pander to the masses get defeated in a free and open election.

Sexual rights for women?

They are also in the process of rewriting the constitution in Ecuador, and Maria Soledad Vela has proposed to include a provision giving women equal rights in sexual matters. That would be a major step forward in this culturally conservative society. "Opposition assembly member, Leonardo Viteri, accused her of trying to decree orgasm by law." See BBC.

May 4, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Is McCain a truer conservative?

Those on the Right who are dismayed that a relative moderate like John McCain will carry the Republican Party's banner this fall should perhaps take heart. Last week the Arizona senator defied conventional wisdom by rejecting universal health coverage, calling for market-based health care reform. This, of course, one of the issues nearest and dearest to my heart. From the Washington Post:

McCain's prescription would seek to lure workers away from their company health plans with a $5,000 family tax credit and a promise that, left to their own devices, they would be able to find cheaper insurance that is more tailored to their health-care needs and not tied to a particular job.

That's a fine start, but at some point the employers' contributions to health care insurance costs will have to be made taxable (perhaps as part of a revenue-neutral tax rate cut) to create a level playing field so that such a decentralized, voluntary, market-based health care reform can work. By distancing himself from the "compassionate conservative" approach of President Bush, McCain has a chance to attract voters who are burned out on grand ideological schemes. (Is Newt Gingrich behind this??) Now if we could only convince McCain that government controls over campaign finance have just as much of a distorting effect as do government controls over medical care...

Just remember, both Democratic candidates, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, are determined to make national health care a fundamental "moral" right of all Americans. Ah, the sweet, intoxicating allure of despotic socialism, which never shows its true [face] until it's too late...

In The Atlantic Monthly, meanwhile, Jonathan Rauch suggests other ways in which McCain is -- ironically -- much truer to classical conservative philosophy than many of those in the "Conservative Movement" of today. For example, McCain quoted British conservative thinker Edmund Burke, who emphasized keeping a balance between individual rights and social order. Notwithstanding his reputation as a "maverick," McCain's legislative work in the Senate has been consistently incremental, and his campaign speeches avoid grand promises. In that respect, he stands apart from many of his GOP colleagues, including Newt Gingrich. Rauch observes, "Starting with Barry Goldwater's campaign of 1964, American conservatism repositioned itself as a revolutionary movement, intent on uprooting illegitimate and ineffective liberal structures." That is one of the very few unfortunate legacies of Ronald Reagan, providing rhetorical ammunition to gung-ho activists for whom prudence is a dirty word.

"Conservatives" on the march

Speaking of which, I had a feeling that the extraordinary tensions in the Republican Party were not unique to the SWAC area, and SWAC Girl confirms it. In the 2nd and 7th Congressional Districts, the "conservative grassroots" successfully unseated the incumbent chairmen who had been endorsed by most of the elected officials. She also congratulated Fred Anderson (!) on his narrow reelection victory.

Fact check

Speaking of SWAC Girl, she asked me to make a correction in my previous politics blog post about the Sixth District GOP convention, and I decided to oblige her with some rewording, though the meaning is essentially the same:

Original: If he does, it will be interesting to see if Lynn Mitchell, who called on Fred Anderson to recuse himself from the Michael-Roller dispute, will recuse herself when the Central Committee takes up the matter.

Revised: If he does, it will be interesting to see if Lynn Mitchell, who cited "Yankee Phil" to suggest that Fred Anderson should recuse himself from the Michael-Roller dispute, will recuse herself when the Central Committee takes up the matter.

(Editing marks and links as shown on yesterday's revised blog post are omitted here.) NOTE: My recent attempt to bring a fact check to SWAC Girl's attention was not accepted.

For a more complete report on yesterday's Sixth District GOP convention, in which Kurt Michael was named Augusta County GOP Chairman, see today's News Leader. I had a hunch the deck was stacked, but I had no idea how badly: "While Michael was allowed to address the committee, [Larry] Roller was not because several people objected when he made requests to speak." Well, that figures... On to Richmond!

Movie on radical Islam

Back in March I came across a Washington Post article on Dutch filmmaker Geert Wilders, who recently produced a Web movie, Fitna, that dramatizes the barbaric aggressiveness of radical Islam and its roots in the Quran. Thanks to Dogwood Pundit, I found it on the Web. It last about 15 minutes, and it's well worth watching, if you have enough intestinal fortitude to face up to reality.

May 3, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Augusta Bird Club picnic

The Augusta Bird Club held its annual spring brunch picnic at Montgomery Hall Park this morning, one last chance for camaraderie with fellow bird "nuts" before the summer doldrums set in. (I will update the club Web site with a group photo, etc. in the next day or two.) In the morning it was mild and fairly sunny, but later on it became a little too breezy for good birding. I saw a total of five (5) first-of-season birds, which was pretty good, but only one such warbler species, the Redstart. I took photos of it and one of the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (from a distance), shown below. Other birders saw a Peregrine Falcon and a Chestnut-sided warbler. Here are the highlights of what I saw:

• Eastern Kingbird (FOS)
• Scarlet Tanager (M, FOS)
• Rose-breasted Grosbeaks (2 M, FOS)
• White-breasted Nuthatch
• Red-bellied Woodpecker
• Downy Woodpecker
• Red-eyed Vireos
• American Redstart (M, FOS)
• Indigo Bunting (M, FOS)
• Cowbird (M)
• Goldfinch
• Red-tailed hawk
• Great Crested Flycatcher

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (male), May 3, 2008

American Redstart (male), May 3, 2008

UPDATE: The Annual arrival dates page has been updated.

May 3, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Sixth District picks Kurt Michael

No big surprise: In Lexington this afternoon, the Sixth District Republican Committee voted 15-8 to recognize Kurt Michael as Chairman of the Augusta County Republican Committee. This was in spite of a recommendation to the contrary made by Vito Gentile (appointed as a fact-finder by Sixth District Chairman Fred Anderson), in spite of Michael's refusal to cooperate with mediation efforts, and in spite of the escalating scandal he brought to the local Republican Party by taking the issue to court. Later [Earlier] in the meeting, Mr. Anderson narrowly turned back a challenge for his post by Jim Crosby.* See newsleader.com. Until more details emerge about the rationale and arguments made on both sides, there is not much point to commenting further on the merits of the decision. Whether the candidate who won more votes in Augusta County (Larry Roller) will appeal this decision to the RPV Central Committee remains to be seen. If he does, it will be interesting to see if Lynn Mitchell, who [cited "Yankee Phil" to suggest that] called on Fred Anderson to [should] recuse himself** from the Michael-Roller dispute, will recuse herself when the Central Committee takes up the matter. She is certainly much more partial in this case than Mr. Anderson is. And if Kurt does win the next round, we will have to see whether he will follow through on his promise to resign. As of today, that commitment actually means something.

* (Crosby served as a supposedly "neutral" mediator when the Staunton Republican Committee was in a state of turmoil last fall, but his main function seemed to be to squelch testimony by committee members on our side. It later became known that he is an ally of Michael and the "SWAC Jobs.")

Since I'm right in the middle of this dispute, I can't pretend to offer an impartial perspective on the recent meltdown in Augusta County, or of Kurt Michael's tumultuous reign as County GOP Chair. That's why I refrain from claiming that our side's candidate (Larry Roller) won, even though it's pretty obvious to me. I would merely like to point out that "war" was declared by Kurt Michael himself in March 2006, nearly a year before the primary campaign of Scott Sayre began, which he falsely claimed was the time when the problems began. In other words, the early skirmishes of the "SWAC War" which had us so puzzled were merely the first step in the long-range plan to unseat State Senator Emmett Hanger.

As I gradually get caught up with the blogosphere, I have come across some interesting and thoughtful perspectives on this tragic situation. If you want a truly "fair and balanced" take on the underlying problem in SWAC Land, just read what Stephen Winslow has to say about Kurt's "sad legacy."

At Roanoke Red Zone, meanwhile, Zak Moore berated Michael for circumventing the party organization and taking the matter to court, calling those tactics "Absolutely disgusting." (And he doesn't know the half of it!) After the Augusta County GOP mass meeting fiasco last month, co-blogger Brandon Bell (a former State Senator) called the Kurt Michael faction the "Phone Booth Republicans," as in that's how many people will be left in the party when they're done wreaking havoc. Bell noted that Michael took "advantage of the parliamentary technicality and def[ied] the will of the majority. Some leader, huh?"

"Huh" indeed.

** Corrections made a day later; see Sunday's blog post for an explanation.

May 3, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Some issues with Nationals Park

Issue #1: Why are most of the seats behind home plate empty? Part of the reason, as today's Washington Post explains, is that the Nationals front office overestimated how many upscale patrons they could attract in the "Presidential" seating area, where ticket prices start at $325. That's the highest in the majors -- ridiculous! I'd be willing to bet that part of the problem is that too many of those seats have been bought by corporations and lobbying firms for entertainment purposes, the cost of which can be written off for income tax purposes, so it doesn't really matter that much to anyone if the tickets don't end up getting used. That is the origin of the problem of "phantom fans," which I first described in April 2005. Simple solution? Abolish the corporate income tax!

Issue #1: When are they going to fix up that concrete plant eyesore on the south side of the stadium? Some day it will be a beautiful tree-lined cluster of high-rent restaurants and night clubs on the banks of the Anacostia River, but getting from here to there depends on some developer with a fat wallet stepping up to the plate. The current owner of that land, Florida Rock Properties, has submitted such a proposal, but it's uncertain if that company is up to the job. See the Washington Post from last Monday; thanks to Mike Zurawski for reminding me.

Nationals continue to win

The Nationals scored just enough runs to stay ahead of the Pirates this afternoon, winning 9-8. The hero of the game was Cristian Guzman, who batted in six runs, tying his career-record high RBIs per game. He is really starting to shine, after three frustrating years with the Nationals in which he had poor performance and injuries. Last night the Pirates trounced the Nats, 11-4, as John Lannan's "Cinderella" streak of 19+ innings of shutout pitching came to a sudden end. Perhaps that rude shock of six runs in the third inning was what caused some of the lights to go dark in the fourth inning, causing a 25 minute delay. Anyway, the Nats have won seven of their last ten games, a hell of a lot better than they had been doing. Most of their wins have been close ones, with a margin of two runs or less. That is a tribute to their bullpen, but all aspects of the team are presently meeting or exceeding expectations. Keep it up, guys!

May 2, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Bobolinks at Sweet Briar!

Every once in a while, you come across a bird or birds that are totally unexpected, and that was the case at Sweet Briar College early on Wednesday afternoon. I was walking to the other side of the campus, where the sloping meadows are, and spotted a large number of blackish birds chattering oddly, about 100 yards away. At frist I thought they were Red-winged Blackbirds, but as I got closer, I could see with my binoculars that many of them had yellow heads and large white marks on their wings and tails. Bobolinks! I also saw a couple more warblers.

Location: Sweet Briar College boat pond
Observation date: 4/30/08
Number of species: 6

• Eastern Bluebird (1)
• Yellow Warbler (1)
• Yellow-rumped Warbler (1)
• Bobolink (15)
• Red-winged Blackbird (5)
• Eastern Meadowlark (1)

This report was generated automatically by eBird v2(http://ebird.org/VA)

Bobolinks are more common out on the Great Plains, where I grew up, but are not seen very often in the East. In fact, the last time I saw that species was in May 2006. I had also seen a Bobolink in the middle of the outfield at RFK Stadium a year before that, at the very first Washington Nationals game I saw there. Weird!

May 2, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Mugabe clings to absolute power

Ever since Zimbabwe held presidential elections on March 29, the country has been lingering in turmoil and suspense as people wait for the results to be announced. The incumbent President (for life?) Robert Mugabe has been using every trick at his disposal to hang onto power, including violent coercion. His clumsy attempts to manipulate the vote count cost him the support of former allies, and the use of police forces in order to silence the opposition has further polarized the country. Over the last few years, Zimbabwe has fallen prey to hyperinflation, with prices climbing at an annual rate of several thousand percent. Today, at last, it was announced that the opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai won a higher percentage of the vote than Mugabe, 47.9% to 43.2%, but without any candidate getting a majority, there will have to be a second-round election -- as long as Mugabe allows it, that is. Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change accused election authorities of fraud. See BBC or CNN.com.

Mugabe, age 84, came to power in 1980 as leader of the Zambian [Zimbabwe] African National Union (ZANU) rebel movement that triumphed over the white supremacist regime of Ian Smith, who died last November. Smith had declared the British colony of Rhodesia to be an independent Republic in 1970, sparking a civil war between Whites and Blacks. The country was renamed "Zimbabwe" when African people won control, prompting a slow but steady exodus of white people, mostly farmers. The country's economy remained in terrible shape for the next two decades, and then it started to get even worse. Nevertheless, Mugabe, maintains control of the country through his "ZANU Popular Front," a coalition of political cronies whose loyalty is bought via government jobs and other favors. Until recently, at least, he maintained broad popularity by using "wedge issues" such as resentment toward the few White farmers who are left. He is a classic populist demagogue.

Whether Mugabe will abide by the voting results in the forthcoming second round election remains to be seen. After all, he made the cover of Parade magazine a couple months ago as one of the world's "Top Ten Dictators." Just last week, Zimbabwean riot police raided the offices of the opposition party and arrested hundreds of people. (See Washington Post.) To Mugabe's "grassroots" supporters, such actions are a sign of strong leadership. To any reasonable person, it would be obvious that Mugabe's tenure has been a total disaster. In short, he has destroyed his country's economic infrastructure, and it will take years to recover. It is hard to understand why a person with such a lousy track record would go to such extreme lengths to retain his power.

Kurt Michael's day in court

The farce that has become the local Republican scene became even more of a farce this past week, as Kurt Michael took the dispute to court. Depending on who you ask, he was either decisively defeated (141-103) or decisively won reelection (57-2) as Augusta County Republican chairman three weeks ago. After failing to appear at a fact-finding meeting on April 27 called by Sixth District Republican chairman Fred Anderson, either because of short notice or having had "more important" things to attend to (see News Leader), Kurt called that meeting "illegal" and filed a court injunction to force recognition that his election was valid, and to have his slate of convention delegates seated. This afternoon, Circuit Court Judge Victor Ludwig denied Michael's request for an injunction, though Kurt claimed to have achieved his goals. (Somebody call a spin doctor!) See News Leader.

It seems ironic that Kurt, the ultimate political insider, has apparently lost faith in the Republican Party hierarchy. (Another irony is that he is using litigation to achieve his ends, a tactic that is usually associated with Democrats. Can you say "frivolous lawsuit"?) He already has lost the support of a number of local "grassroots" who are growing weary at his manipulation of "wedge issues" and are aghast at the public disgrace that his antics have led to. "Stop the insanity!" This latest stunt will no doubt further erode his base of support, and it will take years for the local party organization to recover. I have no idea how the Sixth District Republican Committee will decide the matter tomorrow, though I know there is strong sympathy in favor of Kurt from the abrupt and highly irregular way long-time party loyalist Ray Ergenbright was forced out of the Committee last year.

From what little I have read in the Virginia right-wing blogosphere, there is still a grave misunderstanding of the actual political situation here in "SWAC Land." Eventually, however, the truth will come to light. It always does, one way or another...

Divisive? Divisive???

Let Kurt be Kurt!

New local bloggers

I've got a lot of catching up to do on various blog chores, such as updating my blogroll. Carl Tate, who (like me) served a brief stint as Secretary of the Staunton Republican Committee a couple years ago, has launched a new blog, The Virginia Hall of Justice. Carl is a very bright guy who works in for the Federal government in Washington (like I used to), but he spends a lot of his time here at home in Staunton.

Further to the north (and a bit toward the left), Megan Rhodes, a.k.a. "Whackette," recently ceased blogging for the Daily Whack Job, to my dismay, but she has now started a new solo blog: Sun Versus Wind. Hooray!

Finally, a guy in this area who is heavy into quantitative analysis has launched Blue Ridge Data. Ideologically, he is "located slightly left of center."

May 1, 2008 [LINK / comment]

"Worst decision" by the Fed?

I was very dubious of the buyout of Bear Stearns by J.P. Morgan, made possible by emergency financial support from the Federal Reserve, but a former senior policy adviser made an exceptionally harsh criticism of the March 14 move. Vincent Reinhart, who advised Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as well as his predecessor Alan Greenspan, called that rescue operation the "worst policy decision in a generation." Gone is the pretense that the Fed serves as an "honest broker" in preserving monetary stability. What's worse is that the Fed plans to start making loans to investment banks, going outside its traditional domain of depository institutions. Getting involved in such a high-risk sector sets a very bad precedent for the future. See Washington Post.

We need to remember the close connection between market economics and individual freedom, and that capitalism fosters liberty only as long as the government is restrained from playing favorites. Once it starts intervening for the sake of stability, there is a slippery slope and it gets hard to avoid getting ever-more deeply entangled in business affairs. The "moral hazard" that arises whenever the Fed makes emergency loans -- insulating firms and individuals from the consequences of their bad decisions -- has been forgotten by most people. Once voters get used to the idea that politicians can be induced to help them out in time of "need," then we have turned away from our (small r) republican roots and embraced the comforting allure of despotism. "Crony capitalism" or "compassionate conservatism" -- whichever way you look at it, the whole thing stinks like rotten eggs.

April 30, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Combat deaths surge in April

After a lull that began last fall, a hopeful sign that the "Surge" policy was working, the number of U.S. combat deaths climbed to [50] in April, the most since last September (62). The U.S. offensive against the militia forces loyal to Moqtada al Sadr in Sadr City district of Baghdad is dragging out week after week. It is exactly the kind of urban attrition warfare that we have been trying to avoid all along, and there is a growing risk of alienating the local population if some of our soldiers fire at the wrong targets. In all such counterinsurgency campaigns, that risk must constantly be managed by military commanders. (See Washington Post.) In the south of Iraq, meanwhile, the offensive by government forces against the Shi'ite militiamen apparently gained very little. The virtual absence of the British army since earlier this year has left a power vacuum that the militias have eagerly filled.

Including fallen soldiers whose relatives have not yet been contacted, the total number of U.S. war deaths in Iraq crossed the 4,000 threshhold in March. It is sad that, as the frequency of news stories about Iraq declines, many Americans are paying less attention to the struggle.

April 30, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Microsoft huffs and puffs at Yahoo

Earlier this month, Microsoft warned Yahoo that if Yahoo's shareholders did not accept a buyout offer by April 26, it would proceed with a hostile takeover bid. Well, Yahoo did not budge in the face of the pressure as the deadline passed on Saturday, and today, Microsoft's board of directors "sweetened" the offer by a couple dollars a share, from $31 to $33. Steve Ballmer previously threatened to depose Yahoo's entire board if they don't surrender immediately, but now he is throttling back the bluster. Interestingly, Microsoft's key financial advisers is from Bear Stearns, which went bankrupt by concocting precisely these kinds of high-risk leveraged buyouts. How ironic is that!? See Yahoo News.

Personally, I think Microsoft should spend less time trying to dominate the universe and spend more time accommodating its millions of long-time customers who would rather stick with clunky but serviceable Windows XP rather than upgrading (?) to the slick but bug-infested Vista. There is more than a little truth to the joke about people "upgrading" from Vista (back) to XP, as the New York Times reported last month. (via InstaPundit) But what do I care, I'm a Mac user!

April 30, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Obama disowns "Rev. Wrong"

Well, it was bound to happen eventually. Nearly six weeks after saying he could "no more disown [Rev. Jeremiah Wright] than I can disown the black community," Barack Obama did just that yesterday. Based on what the "Rev. Wrong" said at the National Press Club in Washington on Monday, Obama really didn't have much choice if he intends to be the Democrats' nominee. What is so shocking about the latest news is that Rev. Wright hurled a verbal counterattack at Sen. Obama. (See Washington Post.) Both men have now disowned each other, in effect. (So does this mean Obama has in fact disowned the black community?)

On the "Today" show, NBC's Tim Russert called this a "public divorce," almost unparalleled in modern American history. It would be interesting to find out when the last time a leading presidential candidate parted ways so dramatically from one of his closest associates.

Obama's viability in the fall campaign depends greatly on how he is perceived by the opinion-making elite. It's no surprise that Obama-booster Andrew Sullivan, who considers himself a conservative, is straining to defend the Illinois senator, who already missed his chance to make this flap into a "Sister Souljah" moment, distancing himself from hate speech. To his (partial) credit, Sullivan at least used the opportunity to reject the "government created AIDS" conspiracy talk by many Blacks. James Patterico notes that Sullivan took much too long to face up to Obama's big failure; link via InstaPundit.

It's hard for me to understand why anyone would waste their breath trying to defend Rev. Wright. People on the Left who complain that he has been unfairly targeted by the media, or that Obama has been unfairly associated with the Rev. Wright completely miss the point. The guy is just hogging the attention and making the most of his 15 minutes of fame. He's a classic demagogue who hides behind a pulpit to spout his vile words, making those sitting in the pews feel justified in sharing such hostile feelings. Either you take a stand against hate speech, from whatever the source, or you sit back and let the forces of evil win another round.

What this episode illustrates is the uncomfortable fact about the coalition that makes up the Democrats' voter base: A large number of them just plain hate America in general, and resent successful people in particular. [In this kind of situation,] the art of politics consists of retaining the support of such people while keeping them hidden away from view of the general public. Every once in a while, such efforts fail, and the ugly attitudes shine through.

Democrats are not unique in that regard, however. Indeed, the Republicans have a problem in appeasing their "Base," those energetic folks who respond to emotional and symbolic appeals. They're the kind of people who thought former Sen. George Allen's "macaca" crack [in August 2006] was funny. It is the responsibility of true political leaders to keep such people at bay, and chastising them when necessary.

From a partisan perspective, I am glad whenever the other side stumbles and raises our side's chances for victory. But in this case, I feel no joy in seeing the Obama candidacy taken down a notch or two. Why? Because racism continues to be a huge problem in this country, and anything that needlessly antagonizes the opposing sides makes it harder to lessen the divisions that plague us. Racism today is a more complex, nuanced, insidious beast than it was in the 1960s Civil Rights era, and as Rev. Wright reminds us, Black racism has become just as big a part of the problem [as] White racism. Most people would admit that privately, but would never say so publically. As long as public discourse over such matters is kept in the straightjacket of Political Correctness, we will never make much progress in righting all those Wrongs.

April 30, 2008 [LINK / comment]

May-November canary romance

Full of male hormonal urges, and taking note of what the male birds outside are doing as spring unfolds, Luciano has been "courting" Princess more and more aggressively in recent weeks. Even though she is old enough (7+ years) to be his great-grandmother (canaries breed once or more a year), she is nevertheless often quite receptive to his wooing. Seeing her "seductive" chirping for the "new bird on the block" (he replaced George, who died in January) is quite poignant: It's a real "May-November romance." Since Princess is lame, however, and well past her breeding years (the last time she laid eggs was in December 2006), there are limits as to what she can do. So, Luciano keeps getting frustrated, and sometimes we have to protect Princess from his over-eager advances, keeping them apart. Like a college-age youth, it will take some time for Luciano to learn the proper way to a (female bird's) heart. Stay tuned for another exciting chapter of Canary Romance!

Luciano stretches his tail feathers, enjoying the sunlight in the window, along with Princess. (March 2)

April 28, 2008 [LINK / comment]

April showers bring (Cape) May warblers

The heavy rainfall this morning made for hazardous driving conditions, but after it cleared up I got to enjoy a small-scale warbler "fallout" at Sweet Briar College in the afternoon, with two first-of-season sightings. I heard several Yellow warblers singing in the trees right outside my office building, but only saw one, a female. There were also some Yellow-rumped warblers and Chipping sparrows, but the biggest delight was seeing two (male) Cape May warblers at very close range, within 20 feet. The last time I had seen one of that species was in October 2006.

Ramseys Draft, Braley Pond

On Sunday, Jacqueline and I did our first serious nature hike of the season, about half way up the Road Hollow trail at Ramseys Draft. We saw two first-of-season warbler species, plus a few others, but no Scarlet tanagers to be seen or heard, surprisingly. Highlights:

Location: George Washington National Forest - Ramseys Draft
Observation date: 4/27/08
Number of species: 18

• Downy Woodpecker
• Blue-headed Vireo
• Ruby-crowned Kinglet
• Blue-gray Gnatcatchers
• Northern Parula (FOS)
• Red-eyed Vireos
• Black-throated Green Warblers (6+, FOS)
• Black-and-white Warblers (12+)
• Worm-eating Warblers
• American Goldfinches

We also heard an Ovenbird. Prior to that, we did a quick walk around Braley Pond:

Location: Braley Pond
Observation date: 4/27/08
Number of species: 16

• Red-shouldered Hawk
• Downy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker
• Eastern Phoebe
• Blue-headed Vireo
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Blue-gray Gnatcatchers
• Eastern Bluebird
• Black-and-white Warbler
• Red-eyed Vireo
• Blue Jay (20+ flying high overhead)

We also heard a Louisiana Waterthrush and a few Pine Warblers.

April 28, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Farmers protest in Argentina

As world market prices for foodstuffs have soared in recent months, tensions have risen in Argentina, which is a major agricultural exporter. The government of Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is in a quandary over the food price issue, as farmers contend with budget-squeezed consumers. True to her (Peronista) party's populist roots, she has chosen to raise taxes on exports of soybeans and other products, for the third time in the last six months. In response, farmers declared a three-week strike and put up roadblocks in various parts of the country. The ostensible purpose of the tax hikes was to keep local food prices low, but there is an added political benefit:

That revenue, she said, would allow the government to redistribute the agricultural sector's disproportionate wealth to the people most vulnerable to price hikes. SOURCE: Washington Post.

In other words, it would transfer wealth from the sector that produces the most desired commodity (soybeans and grain) to the sectors that are least productive. That, in a nutshell, is why most Latin American countries remain stuck in poverty or relative backwardness. A temporary truce will end on May 2, and further confrontations are likely in this country with a long record of chaos and instability.

For most Argentine people, eating meat at three meals a day is considered a basic entitlement, much like consuming gasoline is considered a birthright by many Americans. So while we are stuck in the mud on energy policy, Argentina is stuck in the mud on food policy.