Best shot glass ever came in my stocking!
–KAB
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Best Gift This Christmas…
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Jeanine’s Memes
From The Bull Elephant
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Special Christmas Edition of Bacon Memes
Click on “Leave a Comment” to see more Bacon memes!
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Offshore Wind Turbines and Submarine Warfare
Courtesy U.S. Navy by James C. Sherlock
Upon investigation of open source literature, I find that offshore wind turbines are less noisy than I imagined. But they present obstacles nonetheless, both physically and acoustically.
United States submarine and anti-submarine efforts, operationally, in Navy labs, and in industry are led by some of our best and brightest.
That is true also, unfortunately, of most navies, including those of China and Russia.
The primary vulnerability of submarines is the noise they make, however minuscule. Submarine and antisubmarine technical and operational efforts are a constant cat-and-mouse game to minimize noise on the one hand and exploit it on the other.
The frequencies of the noise in the water from sea life, from shipping, from submarines and now from enormous turbine blades and the vibrations they cause in their supports are relatively discrete. That can help, or hinder, both submarine and anti-submarine warfare.
Weapons use against submarines presents other challenges. Attacks require targeting quality solutions, often from brief active-sonar transmissions. Again, noise.
Offshore wind turbines have complicated both offensive and defensive submarine operations.
Turbines are typically grouped about 500 meters apart in wind farms and generate noise in the water from individual turbines and group effects. As a rule of thumb, the bigger the turbine blades, the higher the noise generated. Bad weather exacerbates noise conditions.
The waters off of Norfolk and the nation’s other major commercial and military ports are of primary concern here. We expect and hope that the Navy is at the table in the design and location of each turbine field. (more…)
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A Primatologist at The Washington Post
Snowflake, the only known albino western lowland gorilla, as seen in the Barcelona Zoo. Died in 2003. by James C. Sherlock
And they wonder why they are hated by people outside the bubble.
A story by Stephanie McCrummen in The Washington Post, “In rural Georgia, an unlikely rebel against Trumpism,” comes across as an attempt at Hillbilly Elegy as written by a primatologist.
Primatologists study primates in order to understand their evolution and behavior.
The Post, having returned Ms. McCrummen from assignment covering East and Central Africa, sends her this time to the wilds of the South to examine the animals.
To northwest Georgia. Marjorie Taylor-Greene’s district.
She found, in his native habitat!, a 33-year-old white! veteran electrician (he has a beard! And a brutal father! Left home at 15!) who voted against! Donald Trump, Ms. Greene and Herschel Walker.
She examines him as if he has three arms and describes the local landscape with as much amazement as if it was the dark side of Mars. Green Hills of Africa without Hemingway’s talent.
It is “long form” for your reading pleasure. Condescension drips from every paragraph.
The natives are presumed too ignorant to understand.
Probably don’t even read the Post.
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Why Does Princeton Have All the Luck?
by James C. SherlockCavalier Daily, where are you?
There is an article in The Daily Princetonian that is, end-to-end, utterly beyond satire.
It’s title: “3 Princeton DEI staff members resign, alleging lack of support.”
Where to begin?
The “Prince” offers in a single posting Homeric tales of the peripatetic journeys of three school officials that led to their resignations. Three from among Princeton’s 70 (not a typo) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion staffers.
We find in that article indignation; tears; allegations of macro-aggressions; an HIV-positive Chair of the University Health Services Transgender Health Team; a self-proclaimed “Black queer non-binary person (is BQNBP an acronym?)” overseeing DEI in the athletics department; fears of monkey pox; claims of burnout; statements of support by the University; a Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity; an Associate Provost for Diversity and Inclusion; promotion politics; assorted levels of despair; claims and rebuttals relative to structural issues in DEI at Princeton; and more acronyms than you can count.
Like The Pentagon Papers and almost as long, it is exhausting, but you will not be well read until you work through it.
You will be informed that
employees at the University have participated in more than 6,000 learning opportunities across 150 DEI-related classes and that more than 400 managers have been trained on Mitigating Bias in the Hiring Process.
Employees have also engaged in training regarding LGBTQ Allyship; Bias, Power, Privilege and Workplace Communication; Psychological Safety; and more.
One might conclude there may be burnout among the audiences of those “learning opportunities,” too. But it is a very safe bet they do not express it.
We can only imagine the travails of the DEI staff at the University of Virginia.
The Cavalier Daily, challenged, will surely be on it.
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Empty Pews in America
by Kerry Dougherty
Of all the disheartening news this week, the piece that hit me hardest was this story in The Hill:
“Churchgoing and Belief in God Stand at Historic Lows, Despite a Megachurch Surge.”
The Hill cited studies that showed a dramatic drop in church attendance and – more alarmingly – a loss of belief in God during the pandemic.
Any wonder? Here in Virginia, the governor closed churches but kept the liquor stores open. His priorities were clear.
I regret that masses of people didn’t protest – peaceably, of course – such unconstitutional government-ordered church closures. Those emergency orders clearly violated the First Amendment, which, last time I checked, did not have a virus clause.
Instead, folks who’d been faithful churchgoers their entire lives, sat home on Sundays until THE GOVERNOR gave them permission to return. By then many had lost the churchgoing habit. Others had lost their faith.
In-person church attendance plummeted by 45 percent in the pandemic, according to an ABC News analysis. Most churches have reopened, but not all congregants have returned.
“People are not getting together much, generally speaking. Not just in church, but in the village,” said Thomas Groome, a professor in theology and religious education at Boston College. “People are staying home. They’re on their cellphones. They’re on the Internet…” (more…)
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You Support Free Speech? Show It.
We support free speech… unless it’s hate speech… and hate speech is anything that offends us. by James A. Bacon
The leaders of Virginia’s colleges and universities are sensitive to the public’s distrust of higher-ed’s ability to protect freedom of speech and “cultivate robust and divergent viewpoints.”
“Today’s students may hesitate to discuss difficult topics for fear of retribution or ostracism,” write four Virginia higher-ed presidents in an op-ed published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “Yet free expression and academic freedom are essential to the tripartite mission of learning, discovery and engagement.”
To address these fears the Virginia Council of Presidents has issued a statement expressing support for free expression:
As presidents of Virginia’s public colleges and universities, we unequivocally support free expression and viewpoint diversity on our campuses. Free expression is the fundamental basis for both academic freedom and for effective teaching and learning inside and outside the classroom. Our member universities and colleges are bound to uphold the First Amendment. We are committed to promoting this constitutional freedom through robust statements and policies that are formulated through shared governance processes and through actions that reflect and reinforce this core foundation of education. We value a scholarly environment that is supported by a diversity of research and intellectual perspectives among our faculty and staff. We pledge to promote and uphold inclusivity, academic freedom, free expression, and an environment that promotes civil discourse across differences. We will protect these principles when others seek to restrict them.
Noble words. But I won’t believe the presidents’ commitment to “free speech and viewpoint diversity” until I see massive changes in the way they run their institutions. (more…)
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RVA 5×5 – Holiday Briefing
by Jon Baliles
It’s Friday! Which means this newsletter would normally be filled with stories and analysis about what is happening in the RVA region (not all of it good), with an honest and insightful take (so far as that is possible). For instance, this week we could have stories about:
A non-profit that presented a homeless shelter plan to the City in June and still hasn’t received the go-ahead or money to open; so they raised $30,000 on their own this week to open a shelter this weekend because the Mayor and City haven’t been able to get their head out of the sand for SIX MONTHS to execute a contract. If a timeline helps your perspective, the City sent the latest contract to the non-profit on November 13th, which returned it to the City within two days. The non-profit did not receive a response until December 20. Temperatures will get down to ten degrees tonight and won’t get above 32 degrees until Monday. The only explanation has been another word-salad buffet from the mayor’s press office. Shameful.
The first concepts are coming into view about VCU’s 42-acre athletic village across from what will become the Diamond District development. This area is exploding!
At least eight to 10 very old and huge trees (some close to 100 years old) in Mosby Court were razed to the ground this week. Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority said that the trees were being cut “as part of a curb appeal improvement request that came from the City of Richmond to RRHA for several of our public housing sites.” The Mayor’s Office replied that “The city requested RRHA to pick up trash and remove brush — not trees.” This has got to be a government operation. More breadsticks, please. (more…)
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Red States Have Significantly Higher Percentages of Minors than Blue States
Courtesy Public Domain Pictures by James C. Sherlock
The Census Bureau yesterday released part of its 2022 population estimates.
It showed marked differences in the percentages of children and adolescents under 18 among the states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
Adults in red states are raising more children on average than those in blue states. And it is not a close call.
I did not have a figure in mind, but the magnitude of the imbalance surprised me.
Eighteen of the 20 states with the most kids as a percentage of their populations vote Republican. Of the other two, #12 Georgia has split its gubernatorial and Senate votes between the two parties. #16 Minnesota votes blue.
#30 Virginia is slightly below the national average in percentage of minors.
The United States population is estimated at 333,287,557 of which 72,450,827 are under the age of 18. The rule of large numbers applies.
#21 California, with nine million more people than #2 Texas, has only a million more minors. (more…)
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FOIA Council Responds on Request to UVa for Threat Assessment Team Records on Shooter
by James C. Sherlock
On Sunday I asked the FOIA Council to provide an advisory opinion on the University of Virginia’s decision that information about that school’s threat assessment team deliberations in the case of the November shooter, Christopher Jones, will not be released as I requested.
I received the answer this afternoon, which is far quicker than I anticipated. The Council suggests a more binding route. I quote:
Dear Mr. Sherlock:
In this instance, it appears that there may be some miscommunication or misunderstanding given that it appears that you have asked for threat assessment team information and certain other information pertaining to Mr. Jones, but in reply the University has cited the scholastic information exemption rather than the threat assessment team information exemption.
You also mentioned that the University indicated that redaction of these records would be so extensive as to effectively render them meaningless. You are correct that the threat assessment team information exemption requires that certain information be made available after certain types of incidents, and it would appear to apply to such threat assessment team records after an incident such as this one that resulted in student deaths.
However, the University is also correct that scholastic records are exempt from mandatory disclosure (and although the University did not appear to cite other provisions of law, note that certain student contact information is actually prohibited from release pursuant to subsection B of § 2.2-3705.4, and there are also various provisions of law outside of FOIA that may also affect access to student records).
It is possible that either or both of these exemptions could apply in different scenarios depending on the actual contents of the records, but without knowing those contents, it is not possible to render an informed opinion regarding whether these records are exempt from disclosure or must be produced.
To that end, you asked that this office review the 65 records withheld by the University in this matter and render an opinion based on that review. The Virginia Freedom of Information Advisory Council is a state legislative branch council that was created to issue opinions on the operation and application of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), to publish educational materials, and to provide training about FOIA. (more…)
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The War on Merit Takes a Bizarre Turn
by Asra Q. Nomani
For years, two administrators at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ) have been withholding notifications of National Merit awards from the school’s families, most of them Asian, thus denying students the right to use those awards to boost their college admission prospects and earn scholarships. This episode has emerged amid the school district’s new strategy of “equal outcomes for every student, without exception.” School administrators, for instance, have implemented an “equitable grading” policy that eliminates zeros, gives students a grade of 50 percent just for showing up, and assigns a cryptic code of “NTI” for assignments not turned in. It’s a race to the bottom.
An intrepid Thomas Jefferson parent, Shawna Yashar, a lawyer, uncovered the withholding of National Merit awards. Since starting as a freshman at the school in September 2019, her son, who is part Arab-American, studied statistical analysis, literature reviews, and college-level science late into the night. This workload was necessary to keep him up to speed with the advanced studies at TJ, which U.S. News & World Report ranks as America’s top school.
Last fall, along with about 1.5 million U.S. high school juniors, the Yashar teen took the PSAT, which determines whether a student qualifies as a prestigious National Merit scholar. When it came time to submit his college applications this fall, he didn’t have a National Merit honor to report — but it wasn’t because he hadn’t earned the award. The National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a nonprofit based in Evanston, Illinois, had recognized him as a Commended Student in the top 3 percent nationwide — one of about 50,000 students earning that distinction. Principals usually celebrate National Merit scholars with special breakfasts, award ceremonies, YouTube videos, press releases, and social media announcements.
But not at TJ. School officials had decided to withhold announcement of the award. Indeed, it turns out that the principal, Ann Bonitatibus, and the director of student services, Brandon Kosatka, have been withholding this information from families and the public for years, affecting the lives of at least 1,200 students over the principal’s tenure of five years. Recognition by National Merit opens the door to millions of dollars in college scholarships and 800 Special Scholarships from corporate sponsors. (more…)
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Democrats Allege Democratic Party Suppressed Democratic Voters in Democratic Primary
by James C. Sherlock
Virginia Congressional District 4 Eff. Jan 3, 2023 It must be Republicans’ fault.
Bill Atkinson of the Progress Index reported yesterday that Tavorise Marks, a candidate, Hopewell businessman and local civil-rights advocate, claimed to have witnessed voter suppression in Wednesday’s Democratic primary for the open House of Representatives seat in Virginia 04.
That he, Marks, a Democrat, had seen suppression of Democratic voters in a Democratic primary run by the Democratic party.
Atkinson’s reporting makes a case that the charge is true.
A law suit has already been filed by Richmond attorney Paul Goldman. Goldman’s suit alleges that Democrats restricted equal voting access: (Below is my summary of the allegations as I understand them)
- Because the primary was scheduled on a workday.
- Because too few polling places were concentrated only in certain areas whose locations favored a single candidate (state Senator Jennifer McClellan).
- Resulting in very long commutes for some and long lines that sent discouraged voters home.
Mr. Marks leveled the same charges and may join the suit.
Virginia Sen. Joe Morrissey was one of those on the ballot.
He alleged well before the balloting that it was rigged for McClellan. Two of the four polling places were on McClellan’s home turf in Richmond.
It reminds me of when Captain Renault announced that he was “shocked, shocked” to see gambling in Rick’s café.
Next time Democrats in Virginia talk about voter suppression, I will pay them more attention.
They have game.
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New Youngkin Tax Cuts Total $7 Billion By 2028
Governor Youngkin’s major tax proposals and how much they save taxpayers. Source: Secretary of Finance. Click for larger view. by Steve Haner
The set of Virginia tax changes Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) has baked into his proposed 2023 budget amendments is far more extensive and involves substantially more tax relief than the descriptions he offered in his December 15 presentation. (more…)
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Authority of Virginia Principals to Keep Schools Safe is Dangerously Undermined
St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School, Bailey’s Crossroads by James C. Sherlock
At St. Anthony school when I was a student, Sister Mary Adria was the final decision authority. The only one, really.
Sister Adria was the principal.
There was no division staff, for the simple reason that there was no division. I guess parents could have appealed to the pastor, but we all knew Father McCarthy. In retrospect, good luck with that.
That was a lot of responsibility for a young woman leading a school of 800 kids. Her staff was one secretary. Period. But Sr. Adria was extraordinary. Her decisions were, as far as anyone ever knew or could imagine, wise and fair. And final.
Today’s world is certainly far more complex than in that 1950’s Catholic elementary school.
But it remains imperative that for daily operations the principal of any school have unchallenged authority and responsibility for that school and the education and safety of its students.
And that the principal not hesitate to act.
The principals of the two Loudoun high schools where girls were assaulted in 2021 either did not perceive that they had that authority, or were loath to exercise it because of the policies of and pressure from Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) School Board and division headquarters.
That remains highly dangerous on its face. And not just in Loudoun County. (more…)
