TheDuke's Domain

A question for the Ron (Paul) bots out there

2009-10-13T03:29:00.003-04:00

Actually I have two questions for the enthusiastic supporters of the Texas congressman. First, you do realize that auditing the federal reserve could threaten its independence from the legislative branch of government, right? I hope the answer to my first question is something along the lines of "yes,we do realize that auditing the fed will jeopardize it's supposed independence." If that is the case, I have some sympathy for your position. I get and understand why Congressman Paul wants to audit the federal reserve: he wants to End the Fed. Indeed, a cogent case can be made for not having a central bank at all listen to this podcast to see what I'm talking about.

That leads me to my second question: Why does Barney Frank want to audit the Fed? If auditing the federal reserve threatens its political independence, do you REALLY want Barney Frank to be at the head of that interference? Go ahead and examine the fed. But be very careful in what you wish for because the law of unintended consequences may come back to bite big time.

Marvelling in the Mundane

2009-09-08T16:09:00.003-04:00

Over at Cafe Hayek, George Mason economist Don Boudreaux has been posting pictures and providing brief commentary on mundane items that we often take for granted in our society. Things like toilet paper, the light bulb are posted on the site. As Mr. Boudreaux said, "

It’s important to reflect on these mundane, familiar things in our lives precisely because, to us, they are mundane and familiar. We forget how unusual our lives are compared to those of the vast majority of human beings who’ve ever lived — how much cleaner, healthier, less-hazardous, and more pleasant our lives are compared to theirs.

The chief reason people worry about pollution is because they fear that it will degrade their quality of life by making life more dangerous and more unpleasant. My point is that, while it’s true that industrial and commercial processes emit into the environment contaminants that are harmful, the net effect of modern industrial and commercial processes is to make our lives cleaner and healthier.

I love this series of quick posts because it is a good reminder of the blessings of abundance we have. Read the posts, then look around and count your blessings for the many modern marvels we have and share. To view links to the whole series of posts so far, go here.

Quick Hit Item

2009-06-18T02:30:00.002-04:00

Cincinnati City Council to allow deer hunting in parks I think this is a great idea. I think they should have been doing this all along to help control the number of deer in the parks instead of using police sharpshooters. More cost efficient to let private individuals kill the animals instead of paying salary and possibly over time for the work.

Uh AP, we have a problem

2009-06-14T17:45:00.006-04:00

In a continuation of the theme hit upon in the post below, another good blogger Tom Blumer at Bizzy Blog has hit upon more bias and sloppy reporting from AP. Tom finds AP quoting a report put out by the Pew Charitable Trusts claiming so-called renewable energy jobs outpacing economic growth of the economy in general. When Tom looked into the numbers put out by Pew, he found they didn't jibe with numbers put out by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Further digging found that Pew relied upon a third firm but didn't really disclose the relationship.

While I have no doubt that growing concern and interest in environmental issues will lead to very different jobs than ones held by our parents or grand parents, it is premature to say that the movement has created all of these new jobs ex-nihilo. This is especially the case when most environmental groups have been in favor of greater amounts of government involvement and regulation of the economy. I agree with James Taranto

This misleading framing of the data did not originate with the AP; the Pew press release is titled "Pew Finds Clean Energy Economy Generates Significant Job Growth." But this points to a way in which media bias often operates. Rarely do news reporters merely rewrite a press release touting a study that comes from a conservative or free-market group. Instead, they take a more critical approach in order to compensate for the group's bias. There's nothing wrong with that; the fault lies in journalists' failing to apply a similar skepticism to liberal groups.

This story and the one commented below point to glaring examples of certain groups getting essentially a free pass from AP while others are looked at with more skepticism if not hostility. Pew Charitable Trusts show growth in "renewable energy" jobs unbelievably outgrowing the rest of the economy? Pass the report on. Hamas sets up a dating service as part of its "community outreach"? Downplay the rockets, arms smuggling and violence perpetrated by the group. What makes these stories really offensive is knowing newspapers in most cities run them verbatim.

AP has some serious problems and this would seem to be the biggest one. Fixing the bias and laziness of journalists would go a long way towards earning the trust and dollars of the American public.

Are Rockets on the Registry?

2009-06-09T01:26:00.005-04:00

When it comes to matters of Middle East politics, I must confess that I have a few basics down, but it really isn't a strong suit of mine. I know that groups like Hamas, Fatah and Hezbollah all try to portray (with a stunning degree of success) their jihads against Israel as fighting against a western imperialist beachhead and all they want is to pursue peace, brotherhood and good will towards all. I also recognize that these groups try very hard to stage photos and "film" of Israeli "atrocities" all of the time, especially when the shooting heats up. I also know that "recognizing" Israel's right to exist is seen as a major concession from Muslim countries in the region.

But even with the recognition of the tilted reporting field, there are pieces that are so over the top in their puffery that they shouldn't be ignored. Diaa Hadid wrote such a piece for AP on June 6. The article is about a Hamas run dating service in Gaza to assist women find suitable marriage partners. I have no problem with this service, but the tone and tenor of the article glosses over the fact that Hamas is a terrorist organization. some choice quotes from the article:

. . . Despite its fearsome reputation elsewhere, Hamas is known here for its cradle-to-grave welfare programs for the poor. It is a cornerstone of its political support in Gaza, where poverty is deepening as Israel and Egypt maintain an almost two-year blockade of the Hamas-run territory. Now, the group is branching out into matters of the heart.

"This is our vision of humanitarian work," said Wael Zard, director of the Tayseer association. "This makes people close to Hamas and makes Hamas close to the people." . . .

. . . The one other matchmaking service in Gaza is little used. The Tayseer association was originally founded to fund and organize mass weddings, a service for poor or disabled Gazans who often can't afford the costs of a ceremony. Next month, a mass wedding is planned for more than a dozen blind Palestinians.

While Hamas is considered a terrorist group in the West because of its attacks on Israel - including suicide bombings - it also provides Gaza's poor with food coupons, medical care and other services. Its social network helped make the group popular, gaining it victory over its Palestinian rival Fatah in 2006 parliament elections. The following year, Hamas seized power in the Gaza Strip in clashes with Fatah . . .

Yes, yes Hamas does send homicide bombers into Israel, fires rockets at Israel from civilian locations and turns Gaza into an armed camp; but noticing that is to oversee the good they do in providing for the welfare of their poor Gazan brothers and sisters (end sarc). I would also be remiss if I didn't point out Ms. Hadid's sly dig at the Israeli military when it finally hit back last year.

. . . Tahani, who spoke on condition that only her first name be used because she is using the service without her family knowing, said she turned to Tayseer a year ago. Her mother died when Tahani was young, and none of her relatives were helping her find a groom.

The young woman said she became more determined to find a husband after Israel 's three-week war on Hamas, which ended in January. Israel 's assault killed hundreds of civilians, and Gaza's residents hunkered down in homes and shelters during the shelling, not knowing where bombs would fall next.

"My brothers held their wives when they were scared. I felt lonely," said Tahani, a university graduate in social work . . .

Like I said, I'm largely ignorant of details from the region, but it's my understanding that Hamas put their rockets in the midst of civilians in preparation for conflict. Why put your weapons in the midst of the people you are ostensibly trying to help? I don't think it's for aesthetic reasons. When Hamas put weapons in the midst of civilian populations, it knew exactly what it was doing and were cool with it, even if innocent civilians had to die.

Three final items on this piece: 1. Given the violence (there's that dastardly word again) Hamas committed against members of their "political rivals" Fatah during and immediately after the Israeli assault into Gaza last year, I'm not surprised the Hamas dating service is popular compared to the competition.
2. If this is seen as community outreach on the part of palestinian authorities, did the Tayseer Association for Marriage and Development in Gaza get any of the 1 Billion in foreign aid sent by the Obama administration to the Gaza strip?
3. You know, Hamas could buy a lot more food, medical care and the like if they just stopped buying weapons of war. It's a crazy idea I know, but it just might work if given a try.

Why Not Obama?

2008-11-03T00:46:00.006-05:00

When looking at the choices before the American people tomorrow, I will gladly push the button for Senator John McCain. I arrive at this conclusion easily and on two basis. First comes the indictment of Senator Barack Obama, John McCain's general election opponent. Hopefully, I will have put together a strong case FOR John McCain and have that in the next post.

On October 7, Victor Davis Hanson penned one of his regular columns for Pajamas Media. In the middle of the work, was one of the best indictments against Barack Obama this cycle.

What’s the Matter with Obama?

For all those who write in adoration of Obama’s hope and change mantra, I hope that they can at least see why others are worried about his candidacy. The problem is not an Ayers or Wright per se, but the succession of such odious figures—the bomber Ayers,the racist Pfleger, the Palestinian zealot Khalidi, the crook Rezko, the hyper-racist Wright, etc.—that in aggregate cement the notion of a young hip radical who ingratiated himself with suspect characters, all of whose ideas Obama wishes suddenly to downplay rather than publicize.

Come Clean

He did not just know a Wright or Rezko, but knew them quite well for quite a long time. And in the case of Ayers, Obama has sorely misled: he apparently still emailed and communicated with him after 9/11, when Ayers, on his Fugitive Justice book tour, grandly announced that he regretted only that he had not bombed enough. At that point any further communication was indefensible, since the New York Times had widely circulated Ayers’ views. Yet Obama was emailing him at least until 2005!

A Pattern Here?

But even that coterie of fringe figures would ipsis factis not be fatal to his candidacy, if he and his wife had not serially dropped hints that they had deep reservations about this country that only reinforced the messages we hear from Ayers and Wright (“God D—mn America”)—and therefore confirm the picture of the Obamas as products of a disturbing Chicago leftist circle.

Michelle announces that the U.S. is “downright mean” and that hitherto she had no reason to have pride in America (a logical thing to say, given whom the Obamas had associated with for years). Indeed, her assertions, “For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country,” was not only not an anomaly, but typical of her world view: “Our souls are broken in this nation, ” or “(America is) just downright mean.”

Indeed, such declarations are in line with Obama himself when he says, “And if that child should ever get the chance to travel the world and someone should ask her where is she from, we believe that she should always be able to hold her head high with pride in her voice when she answers, “I am an American.” I think most Americans, given what they’ve seen of the United Nations and the world abroad, are already proud to be Americans and don’t need Barack Obama to restore their faith. And if it were a question of being admired by those on the West Bank, or in Russia, or Iran, they’d rather be disliked.

Still More

Even all that would be tolerable if Obama did not almost serially make the most astounding statements, from calling (before chastised) for reparations, ethnic studies charter schools, and more “Oppression Studies” to demonizing the white working class of Pennsylvania (“And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”)

More Still

But even his associates and his own admissions would not be fatal, had Obama himself not been involved in suspect organizations like ACORN, like the Woods Foundation, and like the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, that typically squandered someone else’s money to help radical organizations undermine existing institutions in service to some utopian vision of what they wish the United States someday to become.

Too Many Lacunae
And even then I would withhold judgment had Obama earned any record of success rather than played on identity politics. He had no distinguished record as an undergraduate at Columbia (so far as we can tell, given his refusal to release his transcripts) that would have won entry to Harvard Law School. Once there, he published nothing, in contrast to past editors at the Law Review. There is no record that his community organizing helped any but the career of Obama, and many of the Rezko projects are now boarded up. As a state legislator there is no record of legislative achievement, but plenty of ‘present’ votes to prepare for further career aggrandizement. As a Chicago Law Professor, there is not a single scholarly article of the sort Chicago insists on for everyone else. And as a US Senator, there is essentially a campaign for president from the day he was sworn in. So, yes, there is a pattern or rhetoric at the expense of achievement.

One sees that had Obama not been of half-African ancestry, or had he not used identity politics to accentuate that background, there is no reason to believe he would have ever left Chicago politics. Certainly he has no record comparable to a Rice or Powell, who excelled in their given areas of expertise, and while proud of their race, still felt it to be incidental to their professional personae. Again in contrast, when concerns about voter registration, Bill Ayers, or Obama’s experience are voiced, both the candidate and his appendages almost instinctively play the race card–we saw that today with the worries over Acorn and the attacks on Palin for raising the Ayers issue yesterday.

The Flip-flopping

And even then I would have withheld judgment had it not been for his (always later retracted after huddling with his advisers) revealing statements that an Iran was not much of a threat, that we needed to cut missile defense, that there was no need for further oil drilling should we just properly inflate our tires, that all U.S. troops should have left Iraq by March 2008, that we should leave NAFTA (later modified), that we should repeal the FISA accords (later modified), and a host of other disturbing contradictions on taxes, guns, abortion, capital punishment, public campaign financing, and almost every other position he took in the early primaries.

The Anoited Do as They Please

But even all that might be tolerable had Obama not engaged in questionable politics that reveal the Old Left’s doctrine of the noble ends always justifying the dirty means—suing to get an opponent off the ballot, his friends leaking, or in collusion with others leaking, sealed divorce records, not once, but twice to eliminate his primary and general election favored rivals, and now legions of Obamaniacs swarming radio shows to intimidate critics, fund raising millions of dollars illegally from foreign donors and the nonexistent, or his efforts to shut down free speech by seeking to sue or intimidate officials to stop unfavorable opposition ads.

Non Hic Porcus

So after a while, it adds up and becomes rather scary—and thus I still resist ‘we are the change we’ve been waiting for,’ vero possumus, and this is the moment when the planet ceased to warm and the seas subsided nonsense. And I have no apologies for such resistance, despite the swarm of emails one receives alleging racism, or worse for not bowing down in obeisance.

Victor Davis Hanson nails it precisely. Given what little we really know about the man, how can we, trust Senator Obama's judgement on judges, economic policy, war, peace and the like? Given what we really know about the man's past, what would indicate that he would battle, fight, irritate or seriously challenge more radical members of his party for the good of the country as a whole?

To answer the question, there is nothing that would indicate he put the needs of the country before himself, his ideological comrades or his political party. Given his track record, Barack Obama has not demonstrated strength of character needed in challenging times that are coming this country's way in the years ahead.

Senator Barack Obama has been put in the dock and found wanting. On November 4, I will be voting against Barack Obama and for John McCain (this case forthcoming). I urge all the readers of this post to do the same.

ignorance is not bliss . . .

2008-06-09T02:34:00.004-04:00

One night, not too long ago, I was surfing the website of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. I decided to try to get a feel for what's happening in business in Seattle. When I looked at the drop down menu, I noticed a link to a "Layoff Tracker" that goes back to January of 2000. The listings seemed to stop in 2006 for the non "high tech" but keep going to today for "high tech" companies.

The irritating thing about the compiling of layoff data is that it only presents one view of the economy. Job losses are significant for those affected by them, but any cursory reading of serious economics would hopefully tell the reporters that our capitalist system is one of creative destruction whereby jobs in one field or with one company are lost only to be replaced eventually with other jobs that are either equal to what was lost or are better. I suspect that given the population growth of the Puget Sound area, the number of jobs created would far outpace the number of jobs lost, thus being far too much work for the diligent employees at the Post-Intelligencer to handle.<*sarc*>

hub and spoke you in the eye

2008-04-20T20:03:00.008-04:00

Tom Blumer over at Bizzyblog has posted a column he originally wrote for pajamas media, talking about the potential merger between Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines. His point was that media scaremongering about higher air fares just did not hold water when compared to fares out of single hub cities like Cincinnati. He goes on to give real examples of how much higher fares from Cincinnati are when compared to the relatively close cities of Columbus, Indianapolis, Dayton and Louisville. His point is well made and spot on.

His column got me thinking about the fares out of Cincinnati in comparison to other cities in the U.S. Tom was more right than he lets on in his column. Let's examine some recent data from the Department of Transportation Office of Aviation Analysis "Consumer Air Fare Report" (link). These quarterly reports demonstrate that residents in Cincinnati pay local premiums that are almost twice the next city's premiums. This is pretty consistent year after year since at least 2002. I also noticed that when I stepped back from the data a little bit, I noticed that other cities with "fortress hubs" were consistently near the top spots as well. Cities such as Memphis (Northwest), Dallas-Ft. Worth (American), Atlanta (Delta), Minneapolis-St. Paul (Northwest), Charlotte (U.S. Air) were consistently in the top 20 of cities when arranged by fare premiums. To examine my research go here, here, and here and scroll down to table seven in the reports and see for yourself.

I wrote not to long ago that losing Delta's hub here in Cincinnati would hardly be the end of the world if the people who run the airport took action to bring in other discount carriers or seek to expand the presence of one of the "legacy" carriers here. I also wrote here my support of a Delta/Northwest merger. I thought then that the merger made sense and I still feel that way. As a caveat, the airlines will have to be careful in their negotiations with their unions and they will have to execute precisely to make the move a true success, but I think they have a good opportunity to do it. I have my concerns about this merger, but looking at the data and reflecting on my own experience as an airline passenger, losing a fortress hub is one of the least of my concerns.

(HT: BizzyBlog)

(Spitz)ing on His Image

2008-03-14T04:45:00.002-04:00

According to this article from the AP, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has resigned from his office. As a conservative who considered him a demagougic bully when he was Attorney General of New York, I am relieved he is gone. I am impressed that the New York Times was as clear as it was when it called for his immediate resignation from office. This kind of moral clarity is rare from the Times, but should be applauded whenever it's found.

I am relieved that Mr. Spitzer has resigned because his recognition of his shame and his criminal activity is a sad but refreshing turn from shameless politicians who ride out scandalous storms instead of resigning. I am relieved because Mr. Spitzer can begin to repair the moral ecology around him. I am also relieved because there will be less caturwalling from those who argue that prostitution is a victimless crime.

A Final Thought

As we reflect upon this affair, let us realize that Mr. Spitzer, though he was a bully, was nevertheless an image bearer of God as we all are. Mr. Spitzer besmirched the image of God on many different levels. As governor, he was chosen by God to punish evil doers and to administer justice. Wicked kings have been used by God to dispense justice in the past, but his role and law enforcer and law maker was violated. As a man, he caused others to sin. We are all sinners before a holy and righteous God, but flouting God's moral law brings dishonor and ill repute to God's word. As a husband and head of household, his double life belied the image of Christ and His church. By doing what he did, Mr. Spitzer made God to be a cheater too, a clear lie.

I have to reflect on this mess and conclude that what Elliot Spitzer needs is the same thing that every last person needs: We need the redemption and forgiveness from our sins that can only be found in Jesus Christ's death, burial, resurrection and ascension. It is only the grace and the power of God that triumph over the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the boastful pride of life. May Mr. Spitzer find the redemption his soul desperately needs. And may we all do the same.

Step This way! . . .

2008-02-24T00:49:00.003-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen! May I call your attention to one of my favorite carnivals? The Carnival of the Infosciences #89 is and running at A Passion for 'Puters. If you are in the infoscience/librarian field, or merely aspire to that end, checking out these carnivals is a good idea to find out what colleagues are talking about. At any rate, please go and check it out.

FROM THE TEMPLATE DESK

2008-02-10T22:34:00.000-05:00

As my church grows and becomes technologically savvy, my pastor, Glenn Durham has taken to posting his sermons on line. You can either read the text of the sermon or can listen here.
The link above has been added to the blog and website roll on the right hand side of the blog.

Glenn has been a blessing to our church in the past year he has been our senior pastor. God has used Glenn, like his predecessors to bring the whole counsel of God to bear on my whole life, both in comfort and in conviction. If you are in the Cincinnati area, please feel free to stop by and visit us. Our address is 11688 Mill Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45240. Our worship starts at 9:30 a.m. and our Sunday school starts at about 11:20 a.m. The web site is www.jeremiah31.org. We look forward to your visit.

Barking and Pointing

2008-02-06T09:36:00.000-05:00

sorry for falling behind on pointing my readers to the Carnival of the Infosciences. I won't make any excuses, I'll just get down to business and point to:
Carnival of the Infosciences 87 at Eclectic Librarian and

Carnival of the Infosciences 88 at Library Garden.

Keep Your Hands Off My Merger!

2008-01-30T18:37:00.000-05:00

This isn’t good. In last Monday’s Cincinnati Enquirer, area congress critters seemed to be worried about the status of Delta’s hub here. It seems that concerns about the status of the hub come from the fact that Delta is rumored to be thinking about maybe possibly merging with either United Airlines or Northwest Airlines. I have stated in the past,Delta-Northwest merger makes sense. Seeing as how the airlines are still code sharing and seeing as how they both filed for bankruptcy in the same court on the same day, and because I thought the merger would be a good geographical fit, the merger made sense to me. I haven’t been looking, but nothing has come up to dissuade me from my previous opinion of the situation.

I had not considered a Delta – United merger as a possibility, but a merger would allow the airlines to (much like a Delta – Northwest merger) share financial obligations, would make sense geographically as well with United being headquartered in Chicago and Delta out of Atlanta, and finally the move would take seats out of the skies thus allowing the airlines to charge more per seat than they otherwise could. A quick aside: concerns about the consumers in Cincinnati on the part of lawmakers is, in my mind, misguided. With Delta’s hub in place, Cincinnati travelers pay some of the highest airfares in the country. Getting rid of that blasted hub would hopefully put downward pressure on ticket prices here making it easier to travel in and out of our fair area.

I think the prospect of losing airline jobs here would hurt in the short term. I think it would be far more constructive on the part of the area's Congress men and women and the airport board to look to Indianapolis as an example to follow. The airfares out of Indy are considerably cheaper than out of Cincinnati (I have made the drive several times to fly across the country). Indianapolis doesn’t have one airline’s hub to the virtual exclusion of everyone else. Instead, what it does have is United Airlines heavy maintenance facilities. I would hope something like this could point the way forward. Good paying, high skill airline jobs would either stay the same or might increase and the loss of jobs here would be somewhat mitigated in the short term. Another benefit of allowing Delta to end its hub here would be the lower prices to consumers in the area.

The airport board, our Congress critters and other area lawmakers should stop freaking out about the possibilities of a Delta merger. Getting rid of a monopolistic, inefficient, hub and consolidating planes and seats can move the region and the airlines forward in a constructive manner.

UPDATE: okay, after reading this article from the New York Times, it seems that the possibility of a Delta and Northwest merger isn't so far fetched after all. My overriding conclusions about a merger haven't changed, only the imminence of the event have. I still think a merger would be a good thing for the region in the end IF, and that's a big word here, the political "leaders" and airport board handle their cards right.

A little carnival never hurt anyone

2008-01-11T05:35:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know that Carnival of the Infosciences 86 is up here at Vital Library.

Doing a blog carnival

2008-01-07T02:49:00.000-05:00

A little while ago, I decided to look into the library sciences as a career change. I must admit that reading some of the librarian specific blogs can be a challenge for a new comer, but I found going to the Carnival of the Infosciences at Blogcarnival.com. The latest carnival (#85) is here at Libraryola.

Check out the entries. I have found them to be educational and entertaining at the same time.

From the Template Desk

2008-01-02T02:35:00.000-05:00

The church where I am a member, Church of the Covenant, in Cincinnati, OH has a new web address: http://www.jeremiah31.org. The change was made yesterday in my template over on the right hand side of the blog.

Please check out the site. Even better, if you are in the Cincinnati area, please pay us a visit. Worship starts at 9:30 a.m. followed by Sunday school at about 11:30 We would like to have you visit some time.

2007-12-26T02:57:00.000-05:00

I just completed Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Highlights: Memorable Moments in Team History as Heard on the Reds Radio Network. I like the collection of trivia that composes the book's material. The Hall of Fame Highlights have been a staple on the Red's pregame broadcast for a few years now and I usually find them entertaining. The book is a compilation of these segments set in the team's chronological order. I found them all easy to read and I went through them fairly quickly.

Greg Rhodes, the author and narrator of these tasty bite sized bits of trivia has written other books about the history of the Reds that I'm now interested in. This book is for those Reds fans who want to know more about the team's history without requiring much of a commitment. Definitely recommended leisure time reading.

Getting Stuff off my chest...

2007-12-08T23:58:00.000-05:00

Tom Blumer at Bizzy Blog has a series of posts highly critical of Mitt Romney, Republican candidate for president. Tom's points, I think, are to be taken and addressed seriously, especially by fellow Romney supporters. The sharp barbs bared by Tom will be helpful in addressing serious issues come general election time in 2008. As a Mitthead, I disagree with Tom's "deal breaker" label. I think he has constructed a kangaroo court in his own mind (he had stated some time ago that Mitt's health care plan 'alone' should disqualify him from office), and thus was unlikely to be swayed to support the former governor. I'm not entirely sold either on two issues from the recent past in the muddle of statehouse politics is entirely fair either.

Whether you agree with Tom or not, I go to his blog and check out the excellent material there almost every day and you should too.

On a different note, my beloved Kentucky Wildcats were hammered by Indiana Hoosiers yesterday in Bloomington 70-51. When coach Tubby Smith left for Minnesota last year, I was of the opinion that Kentucky was going to have a VERY tough season, where the guys gave great effort, but would come up with a season where they got into the NCAA tournament mainly because of the name on the front of their jerseys. This year has stunk to high heaven so far, but there is still a lot of basketball to be played and I think the team will come together and be feisty and a tough opponent and all, but we have to get there first.

What will be Bak(ing) in the oven now?

2007-10-20T22:26:00.000-04:00

On October 15, The Cincinnati Reds announced that
Dusty Baker would be their new manager. They have signed him to a three year deal worth approximately $3 million per year.

My initial reaction mirrored this, this, Which is to say "Dusty Baker?! Are you kidding me? Why him?" But after some reflection, I think the move was a good one by the Reds. His record does indeed speak for itself and it sounds better than what Dave Miley, Jerry Narron and Bob Boone all put out. It must be pointed out that some in the blogosphere wanted a "name" manager, not some johhny-come-lately like the aforementioned men above. Well, you have your wish. True, there were "bigger" names out there at the time, but I honestly could not see either Tony LaRussa or Joe Torre coming here to Cincinnati.

I think this is a big time move and I agree with Lance McCallister on this one: I will give Dusty the benefit of the doubt. According to Lance's stats, Baker stacks up pretty well with past managers. Let's wait and see what happens in the offseason and how Dusty goes about his business. He may surprise everyone and actually get the guys to play hard and to hustle, but you never know. The man can only do so much and it is imperative that the front office of the Reds give Dusty some players to work with, particularly pitchers. I think the Reds are starting in the right direction with this hiring.

finally...pictures!!

2007-04-15T15:22:00.000-04:00

I've been lazy and haven't researched adding pictures till now. Here's a picture of my son Ian

Feeling the Pain

2007-03-25T11:18:00.000-04:00

Many of my personal friends and co-workers know that I follow The Cincinnati Reds (baseball) and Kentucky Wildcats (college basketball) with any kind of intensity and passion. When news came out that Tubby Smith had left to coach at the University of Minnesota, I thought the sudden nature of the news meant that the decision was made in haste. But according to this report by Andy Katz, Tubby had been seriously looking to leave town for at least six weeks. While some wanted him fired after a disappointing couple of seasons, I thought that he should have been allowed to stay on for another year or two if he was willing to make significant changes to the way thing operated. If he wasn't willing to change, then he should have gotten the axe. With Smith's departure to Minnesota, all of that is moot.

My favorite sports talk guy, Lance McAllister, had what I felt were spot on comments concerning the move:

The more I think it was time for this to happen in Lexington......for both sides.
I believe 99% of fans liked Tubby the person....how could you not?....he was kind, charitable, a good person...a person any parent would want coaching their son. Yet as a coach, Tubby had flaws. Flaws you even accept at "most" schools. But it's not a news flash that UK is not "most" schools. UK is an "elite" school. UK is UK because of the passion and expectations for the program. Passion fills seats, passion builds 30-million dollar practice facilities, passion allows a school to pay it's coach 2+ million dollars a year.
UK is not Butler, it's not Gonzaga, it's not Texas. The goal of elite programs is to chase and win a national title every year....is that fair? No. But that comes with the territory.
"Most" schools and their fan base would do back flips to win 76% of their games, average 26 wins a year, make the tourney all 10 years with a coach, and make four elite 8's in ten years. But failing to make the Sweet 16 in back to back seasons showed UK was trending the other way. Sure they were 'this close" to going to the Final Four three years ago. But "close" isn't for elite programs. Close is for programs that accept less than the best. Close is for the Bengals fan who are happy that 8-8 is better than 2-14.
Does anyone believe the situation in Lexington was getting better or was going to get better with Tubby? This became a classic case of it "being time".......the program was settling in/leveling off/getting stale....with danger ahead without a jolt.
Remember, Tubby was not fired. Tubby resigned. I'll assume Mitch Barnhart asked Tubby to replace at least some of his staff. I'll assume Tubby wasn't going to do that. UK demanded change. Tubby thought status quo was good.
When everyone on the outside has realized for years that a staff change had to happen, and the coach didn't, there is a problem. If Tubby keeps his staff intact at Minnesota, he will continue to have problems. Tubby leaving doesn't mean he'd rather coach a 9-22 program, and it's not a "take this job and shove it." It's an admission he can't do the job at UK and can't handled expectations and pressure of being the best.
Have UK fans damaged the program with their demands? (You will always have the small percentage of whack jobs at any school) I'd argue fans expecting less would damage what UK is about.
I wish Tubby nothing but the best. He goes to a place where the expectations and the bar are much lower. That bar isn't touched at UK. It stays at the top.
Has the landscape of college basketball changed? Yes. Can you win a title every year? No way, no how. But does that mean UK should lower their expectations? No. That's what separates the good programs from the "elite" programs.
Coaches who don't understand/accept that, need not apply.

Two last items:
1. Hats off to Minnesota for landing a capable coach, good guy who did things "the right way". Landing Tubby will be a huge step forward for the Golden Gophers.
2. Memo to all of the Cincinnati fans out there. I will soon feel the pain that you all have had to endure this year. Mick Cronin is a very capable basketball coach and recruiter and did the best he could with what he had, but the results still sucked for you. I have a strong feeling that I'm going to be in a similar position this coming year. I have little doubt that my beloved Wildcats will be back on top of the college hoops world, but it's going to be a slow, sometimes painful process to get there.

A small call to action

2007-02-25T22:59:00.000-05:00

For at least three years, the Rumping family has attended and been active in our church, The Church of the Covenant . I have become friends with the parents, Tom and Mei Ling. I have been blessed by their presence and their service in our congregation. To that end, they have had the grave news that their 2 year old daughter Hannah has recently been diagnosed with the "A.L.L." form of childhood leukemia. In the past couple of days, Hannah's blood pressure dropped as she has had to fight off a viral infection. She is in the Intensive care unit of Cincinnati's Children's Hospital right now. Hannah's condition has stabilized for the time being, but this trial has been tough on Tom and Mei Ling and Hannah's older siblings, Caleb and Sarah.

I ask for two favors from whoever may read this post or this blog: First, pray earnestly for this situation.
1. Please pray to the Almighty for peace, strength, comfort for the family.
2. Please pray for a healing of this infection and of this disease for Hannah.
3. Please pray for continued wisdom and discernment and dedication on the part of the medical staff at the hospital.

Second, I would ask readers to go the Care Page Portal and set up access and to leave a message of encouragement and blessing to this family. The words of encouragement have been a blessing to the family and will be appreciated. Please go there, log in and leave a message.

Thank you for your time and your support.

Being right is . . . yawn . . . hard work

2007-02-16T17:56:00.000-05:00

I have taken to telling people that the siesta is an underrated concept in our society. A lot of that has come from the fatigue of working two jobs, but now I have some proof that I have been right. According to a recent large study released on the 13th, napping was found, in conjunction with diet, exercise and overall health, to have reduced the risk of heart attacks and the like by as much as 37% in men, particularly men in their 50s. You can read the full article
here.

HT: Byzantine Right Calvinist

A slightly different take on Anna Nicole

2007-02-14T10:36:00.000-05:00

My good friend Michael Corson has composed an obituary of Anna Nicole Smith that I found interesting to read and I think readers of this blog might find interesting as well. Some of the points raised I had forgotten about or simply had not considered before. So without further ado, Mike's essay:

“I Can't Help It . . .” Thoughts about Anna Nicole Smith

She was a shy girl from a small Texas town who lived out a rags-to-riches success story. She was a maverick, who lived life by her own rules and on her own terms. Even as she rose to, and achieved, fame and fortune, she nevertheless always seemed to remain the underdog, but she never gave up fighting for what she wanted or what she believed was rightfully hers. She was a walking, talking Barbie-doll, living to have fun, but at the same time longing for acceptance and love. She was larger than life. She was one of the iconic images of our generation.

When I first heard of the death of Anna Nicole Smith, I was overcome with a wave of grief and emotion that I could not explain. I did not pay attention to this woman while she was alive, so why did the news of her passing affect me so dramatically? Like almost everyone else in America and around the world, I have spent the last few days grappling with the news of her death and the emotions that this news has aroused.

Since her death last Thursday afternoon, the focus of the news and print media and the talk show commentators is already shifting away from the busty blonde bombshell to the questions surrounding her death, her baby girl and her future, the issues surrounding paternity, and the problems of sorting out the mess that is Anna Nicole's estate and who has legal claim to how much of its money. As I followed the story, I heard several negative terms used to describe this woman such as “vain,” “empty,” and “worthless life,” even “slutty.” I am surprised and, quite frankly, very disappointed at the general lack of respect given to Anna Nicole by the newsmen and talking heads. Regardless of what one may think of Anna Nicole or her lifestyle, she is entitled to respect, even feigned respect for appearance's sake, in death. Although most of us in middle-class American society have serious issues with many of Anna Nicole's choices in life, and although we do not condone those choices, we have to recognize, perhaps even admire, albeit grudgingly, that hers is a genuine American rags-to-riches story. Before the focus of the news shifts away from this unique character completely and turns to these other matters, in the face of the hurricane-force winds of negative criticism about this woman, I would like to throw up a few straws of positive commentary.

Over the weekend, I have heard two talk show hosts on local radio and one guest on a network cable news show make the same comment, that Anna Nicole was famous just for being famous. While this is a common charge these days hurled at many celebrities who do not seem to have real talent, in this case it misses the mark. Paris Hilton is the obvious example of someone who is famous just for being famous. Paris catapulted to notoriety because of a sex video on the internet. Because she comes from an extremely wealthy family and does not need to work for a living, she can indulge herself with a life of leisure, going on shopping sprees and to parties to her heart's content. She does her reality series for a lark, not because she needs to cash.

Unlike Paris Hilton, Anna Nicole Smith made her way up from a shy young girl in a small Texas town, working first in a fried chicken restaurant, later in a topless bar. She attracted the attention of Playboy magazine, appearing first on the cover, then doing a pictorial, eventually becoming Playmate of the Year; all in all, she graced the magazine's cover four times. As her career began to take off, she landed movie rolls and became the face in the ads for Guess jeans. More recent were her truly awful reality series and her role as pitchwoman for Trim Spa. In other words, unlike Paris, she worked to earn income to pay the bills. Anna Nicole used what she had--her beauty, charm, charisma, and a shrewd business sense for marketing herself, for this last of which she was not given enough credit. She worked to earn what fame and fortune she achieved; many of us may not think so, but modelling and acting require real work.

Those who make the comment that Anna Nicole was “famous just because she was famous” also fail to recognize the true nature of fame. Call it what you will, fame, notoriety, or celebrity status, it is, in fact, a large component of the business that actors and musical stars are in. Companies do extensive research to find personalities well-known and well-liked by the public who can pitch their products or services to the target audience. In most cases, the actor making the pitch is by no stretch of the imagination an expert in the product. Using a celebrity in such a way is a variation on the logical fallacy of false authority, using someone as an authority in one field who may or may not have legitimate standing in another field. If the pitchman does not possess proper credentials or expertise to promote the product, then why use him? The major consideration is not the pitchman's credentials or expertise but his celebrity status, his star-power, likeability, charisma. Moreover, those chosen as pitchmen pull down huge sums of money for such commercial work, so landing such gigs is a top-priority desideratum among the celebrity crowd. The glitterati of stage and screen, of sports, and of music are always concerned with their image, be it respectable or outrageous, and how to keep that image before their fans and the public at large.

Anna Nicole had the attractivness and, in the earlier days of her career at least, the big-time celebrity status to pitch almost anything. Love her or hate her, one has to concede that Anna Nicole radiated charm and charisma like a blast furnace. Even in her most outrageous moments, her charisma shone through, reaching out of the magazine or the TV set and grabbing us by the throat. In spite of ourselves, we couldn't help but like the sometimes goofy, often outrageous, always larger-than-life blonde bombshell. We also sensed that, beneath all of her outrageous behavior, she was still a shy, good-hearted girl from Texas seeking acceptance and love. Some of the crew who worked on the reality series with Anna Nicole, such as the hair dresser, said in interviews given after her tragic passing that when she was in the makeup chair--that is, behind the camera and out of the gaze of the public--she was just as nice and sweet, considerate and kind as she could possibly be.

Americans also like the maverick, someone who lives life by his own rules and on his own terms. Anna Nicole was such a maverick, and she was a fighter. As she rose to fame and fortune, and even after she achieved it, she always seemed to remain the underdog, never finding the acceptance and love that she craved, but she never gave up. Every time she was knocked down, she would get up and join the fight again. All her life, she struggled with problems of weight. The huge weight gain that made her look like a Macy's Parade balloon caricature of herself which she carried while shooting her reality series she managed to drop, and she returned to her earlier, voluptuous figure. Anna Nicole had also been embroiled for years in a legal battle over the disposition of her late husband's fortune. Although she suffered many setbacks in this legal war, she managed to have her case taken all the way to the Supreme Court. The case has still not been settled. One fight, however, that Anna Nicole was never able to win was her bout with alcohol and drug abuse. Although she fought these addictions, even going so far as to enter rehab, sadly she never completely got free of the grip of substance abuse. As of this writing, questions remain about whether drugs were the ultimate cause of her death.

Most of us did not actually know Anna Nicole Smith, of course, but we feel that something important was yanked out of our lives last Thursday; since that day we sense that something is missing but we don't exactly know why. The world can never have enough brash, beautiful blondes, enough rags-to-riches success stories, enough mavericks, enough underdogs who never give up the fight, enough outrageous characters, or enough genuinely nice women who remain small-town girls at heart despite their current lofty station in life. Anna Nicole Smith was all of these things. Each of us, in our own way, realize that we will miss those things. The world became a little emptier last Thursday afternoon. I predict that, as has been the case with Marilyn Monroe, Anna Nicole Smith will find, sad to say, more success and acceptance, even love, in death than she was able to find in life. I hope that now, at last, she has found rest, peace, and let us hope, the happiness and acceptance that she so longed for and that eluded her in this world. I choose to believe that Anna Nicole is in heaven, sitting on a pink fuzzy couch with Marilyn, while on the coach across from them Elvis strums a guitar and croons “I Can't Help It If I'm Still In Love With You.” I can't help it either.

Michael Corson
12 February 2007

Pledging . . . Without the drinking

2007-01-25T18:38:00.000-05:00

Hugh Hewitt is encouraging people to take a pledge not to give monies to those Senators who vote for resolutions criticizing the president's plan in Iraq. The pledge also a commitment to withhold funds from the National Republican Senatorial Committee unless the chairman of the committee, Sen. Ensign states in writing that candidates supporting resolutions won't get any funding from the committee.

I can take this pledge for two very basic reasons:
1. I have no monies to give. What contributions might come from me and my family had better be worth it. Undercutting the president and general patreus right now in a craven and spineless political maneuver are serious black marks in my book.

2. The Senate caucus is not a club. The pledge is an effort by activists within the party to instill some basic discipline in the Senate, something that has been lacking for a very long time now. I, like Mr. Hewitt, am a party man. That label has to stand for something.

take the pledge today.