Saturday, June 11, 2005
Well, this is interesting
Please, Russ Jackson, run as an independent Republican.
WF
// posted by Wes @ 10:42 AM |||Comment (1) | Trackback (0)
Friday, June 10, 2005
Es ist genug
A composition by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750) was discovered this week. It's a strophic aria in honor of the birthday of Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Saxe-Weimar, a patron of Bach's.
This is, to my knowledge, the only strophic aria (a strophic aria has the same music for multiple verses of a poem or text) that J. S. Bach wrote. So even though the piece is not all that important in Bach's output, it's still a major find.
WF
// posted by Wes @ 11:47 AM |||Comments (3) | Trackback (0)
An alternate viewpoint
Mr. Frank J. Labmeier of Green Township proposes an alternative to lifetime appointments for federal judges.
Here's how I see it:
PROS:
Even the most odious jurist would only have eight years on the bench;
The removal of lifetime status would break much of the logjam surrounding federal judicial appointments.
CONS:
Every time the majority on a judicial panel switched ideologies, you'd see spates of cases being filed and the possible overturning of case law every decade (think Plessy flipped by Brown and vice versa every decade or so);
There's still the desire for promotion to higher courts, so the ideological judges would still be playing to push their viewpoint (in the hopes that they will be rewarded with a higher office).
I do hope Mr. Labmeier meant "appointed" instead of "elected" in his penultimate paragraph. State and local judicial elections are painful enough - I cannot imagine the fights that would break out over federal judgeships.
What do you think?
WF
// posted by Wes @ 11:26 AM |||Comment (1) | Trackback (0)
Arrrgh
So I get here early today and figure I'll have plenty of blogging time before class.
The computer has been achingly slow (think Commodore 64) all morning.
I haven't even read the paper yet. I first tried to post this 20 minutes ago.
This is an open thread.
WF
// posted by Wes @ 9:25 AM |||Comments (3) | Trackback (0)
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Coingate
It just keeps getting bigger and bigger...
WF
// posted by Wes @ 9:24 AM |||Comments (2) | Trackback (0)
I don't know this man
I don't know Arnie Engel, but from all accounts he's committed to destroying public education wherever it may be.
Sad. Public schools predate the Constitution (check out the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, for example), and this person has taken it upon himself to wipe them from the planet.
Somehow I doubt he's doing it alone. Who is funding Mr. Arnie Engel of Fairfield in his quest to oppose all school levies everywhere?
WF
// posted by Wes @ 9:22 AM |||Comments (3) | Trackback (0)
Quick thoughts on ads
I have not seen any ads for the Democratic candidates yet, so I cannot comment on them.
I've spoken below about the single McEwen ad I've seen - nice to know that, when there is a 10% unemployment rate in parts of the 2nd District, Bob McEwen will have the right priority - the Pledge of Allegiance.
Pat DeWine seems to have built a cottage industry on going after McEwen. Does being a "Ronald Reagan conservative" mean you like jellybeans and/or are dead?
Eric Minamyer, who has been kind enough to comment here, seems a decent sort, but his ads are not well-produced. That might turn off some people, though to me the bigger turn-off is the presence of Simon Leis as his campaign chair. Ouch.
The Club for Growth (motto: "No taxes EVER!") has been attacking Jean Schmidt on behalf of Tom Brinkman. Is there some internal win-place-show jockeying I don't know about?
The tamest ads belong to Jean Schmidt. They play down her ties to the social conservative movement.
What are your thoughts on the ads?
WF
// posted by Wes @ 9:14 AM |||Comments (4) | Trackback (0)
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
Less than a week
Post your thoughts on the two primaries for the OH-2 open seat here. I have to go teach.
WF
// posted by Wes @ 9:26 AM |||Comments (13) | Trackback (0)
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
Slow News Day
Oh, sure, there are some Cleti among the letters, and there's corruption in Kentucky state government, but this isn't a change from the status quo.
I gotta teach in 10 minutes anyway.
This is an open thread.
WF
// posted by Wes @ 9:16 AM |||Comment (0) | Trackback (0)
Monday, June 06, 2005
June 6, 1944
It's been sixty-one years since the Allies stormed the beaches at Normandy. Those brave soldiers marked the turning point in the war in Europe.
If you know anyone who was there, thank that person today.
WF
// posted by Wes @ 9:17 AM |||Comments (2) | Trackback (0)
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Hmm...
Based on what they told the Enquirer, the two best Republican candidates (admittedly, my priorities are way different than the GOP's) are Eric Minamyer (though I'm not thrilled with his reflexive tax-cutting) and Doug Mink (the only one to talk about telecommunications issues). Jean Schmidt seems harmless enough, but friends of mine who worked with her in Miami Township and State Government say her discussion of jobs, etc., is a smokescreen to moderates so she can do nothing but anti-abortion and anti-gay work.
As bad as McEwen and Brinkman are, and as patently overly ambitious as Pat DeWine is, any of them would be better than Jeff Morgan of Peebles, who says his first priority is the Federal Marriage Amendment. I guess we should be glad he's up-front about it, and that he's not hiding it like others (though Brinkman says it's his SECOND priority).
You'd like to think someone like Jeff Morgan would be too extreme for even the 2nd District, and indeed his chances are slim; however, he'll get some votes.
I'll put in some thoughts on the Democrats next week.
