Don't elect whack jobs on SVEC

Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative will be electing new directors at their annual meeting on June 10, 2010. One of the nominees in Augusta County is a right wing whack job by the name of Philip Lynch. While his bio that was sent out in the Notice of the Annual Meeting sounds perfectly reasonable, he is a crazed reactionary blogger going by the name of "Yankee Phil" and a local political flamethrower whose ideology is way out of bounds for SVEC members. We don't need those kind of views on the Board of Directors of Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative and we certainly don't need the distraction that his presence would bring to the co-op's governance. Paul Bugas, Joyce Craun, and Larry Howdysell are better choices!

Bob McDonnell's right wing exports

Bob McDonnell talks about building business in the Old Dominion, but it appears he's spending time, money, and energy trying to export his right wing views to other states. According to the Green Mountain Daily, the Times Argus, and others the Virginia governor is helping raise funds for ultra conservative Vermont gubernatorial candidate Brian Dubie.

Taliban Bob has been blasted in Virginia as well as across the county and been reduced to fodder for comedians for his controversial, backwards, and downright stupid statements on issues such as sexual orientation, Confederate history month, and women's rights. Well out of the mainstream, many national politicians are distancing themselves from our governor. I guess Bob hopes to get Dubie elected so he'll have someone to sit with at meetings of the National Governors Association.

Governor McDonnell, now is not the time for you to spend any time or energy in the politics of another state. Virginia's budget remains in disarray with education (teacher layoffs), roads (still potholes here), and public safety (sheriffs' budgets cut, judgeships unfilled) demanding attention. While many of us would be glad to see you somewhere/anywhere else, the hard truth is you are the only governor we've got and we expect your focus - 100% of the time - on Virginia's problems. Besides, your controversial record doesn't exactly support Vermont's motto, "Freedom and Unity."

Scott Miller at the Historic Masonic Theater

Scott Miller.... who the f#%&* is Scott Miller? Although Scott Miller grew up in the Swoope area of Augusta County and attended Buffalo Gap and Stuarts Draft high schools, my bet is that not too many in the area are familiar with the man and his great music. The reason is simple - he just hasn't played the area very much. If you check out his tours he's all over the place, but not here. Well, that's not quite true... Scott did play in Staunton back in January. But, I was in Beijing and missed what I heard was a great show.

I have been fortunate to hear Scott, sometimes along with The Commonwealth and sometimes solo, several times. Once in Roanoke and another time when his Amtrak Tour made a stop in Charlottesville. Oh yeah, in Ashland, VA. Then my wife won tickets to one of his shows at the Down Home in Johnson City, Tennessee. Road trip!! Great show and even greater to be part of his live album, Reconstruction. Scott plays some great rock and roll... just the kind you want to hear with a cold pitcher of beer, good friends, and a rowdy crowd. There's a little country mixed in. And traditional tunes from his love of history. Check out his other albums including Thus Always to Tyrants, Citation, and Upside Downside.

OK, here is the really good news. Scott Miller will be playing at a birthday party/fundraiser for The Historic Masonic Theater in Clifton Forge, VA on Friday, July 2 at 8:00 PM. Can you spell ROAD TRIP? I've ordered my tickets and if you are in the mood for a good time and good music you should too. Click the link to the theater or if that damn Microsoft mouse is quirky, click here. Get your tickets. Go! Explore Clifton Forge (won't take long) and learn about this highland treasure and enjoy some great music. Go Scott!

Drilling in the Valley?

This week central Valley residents have an opportunity to learn more about the plans for and perils of drilling for gas in the Shenandoah Valley at a public forum, Caring for Eden: A Community Discussion on Drilling for Gas in the Valley. It will be held at Court Square Theater in Harrisonburg at 7:00 PM on Thursday, June 3. To RSVP or for more information follow this link.

Gas drilling involves a controversial technique called hydraulic fracturing which critics say poses a very real threat to groundwater. The clip below looks at gas drilling in Wyoming and discusses the issues that have arisen, including lax regulations under federal law. As local leaders make decisions on a well or wells near Bergton, citizens must be informed, demand full disclosure, and make sure government verifies compliance with relevant regulations.

Remembrance

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day as a way to remember those who died in service to the United States of America. While there are various stories about the origins of Memorial Day, it appears that it was first officially observed on May 30, 1868 when flowers were placed on the graves at Arlington National Cemetery. Today, many Americans seem to have forgotten the original meaning of Memorial Day and see it more as the beginning of summer when swimming pools open, BBQ grills are flaring, and NASCAR is roaring.

While veterans groups and many cities and towns have parades and other events to honor our nation's war dead, in my opinion many of those events also glorify war itself. And while it is quite true that war can bring out the very best in individuals - bravery, courage, compassion, teamwork, loyalty - as Eugene Sledge writes in his incredible memoir, With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa - 

War is brutish, inglorious, and a terrible waste.  Combat leaves an indelible mark on those who are forced to endure it.

With the Old Breed provided much of the background for HBO's production of The Pacific, a miniseries that followed the stories of Sledge, Robert Leckie, John Basilone and other Marines from Guadalcanal, through the bitter fighting in the little remembered Battle of Peleliu, across the bloody sands of Iwo Jima, through Okinawa's horrors. As (some of) the men return home they find themselves in a strange place within America, within their families, and within themselves.

I was reminded of my childhood questions to my own father, a WWII Army veteran who fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was among the first U.S. troops to meet the Russian troops advancing from the east. Questions that disclosed my own childish glorification of war. Questions that he refused to answer then by deflecting them to lighter moments of the Army life. Questions that will remain forever unanswered.

This Memorial Day, let us honor those who understood, "if the country is good enough to live in, it's good enough to fight for." But, let's not use Memorial Day to glorify war itself. Rather we should keep in mind the words of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman who said, "War is Hell." History books may talk of winners and losers, but in war there are only varying degrees of losers. Memorial Day should, in the words of Herman Wouk, author of War and Remembrance, remind us all that -

The beginning of the end of war lies in remembrance.

Old Speckled Hen

I received a couple bottles of Old Speckled Hen in a gift basket and figured this drizzly afternoon was a good time to sample a brew that I'd never experienced. Besides, a blog named Coarse Cracked Corn just had to give Old Speckled Hen a shot. Brewed by Morland Brewery, the label describes it as "English Fine Ale" and boasts the brewery was established in 1711. It also claims 5.2% alcohol. The uniquely shaped clear glass bottle showed a nice copper colored beer. When poured in a glass it created a nice, off-white head that lasted a short while leaving thin lace on the glass. Fairly light bodied but it still had fairly good mouth feel. Hoppy... yes, but I didn't care for the bitter taste as much as what I find in my favorite IPAs such as Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. As I drank Old Speckled Hen, hints of maltiness and other grains come through. So, a nice beer but not something this bird would cross the road to find. I'll give it a B, although that may be a bit generous.

I also had a pint bottle of St. Peters India Pale Ale, another English brewed ale. Again it was an interesting bottle design of drab olive that conceals the color of the contents. Poured in a glass, the ale was a cloudy dull copper color. Like with home brewing, there was sediment in the bottom that contributed to the cloudy appearance. St. Peters India Pale Ale kicked up an okay head with great texture and an appealing creamy mouth feel. I liked its balance of hops and malts better than the Old Speckled Hen. All-in-all, I like this beer but have no idea where I'd find it locally or at a reasonable price. I found this fairly close (perhaps a bit less hoppy) to the Brass Rabbit IPA I used to cook up at Queen City Brewing. Lets give it an A-!

Well, it is back to some domestics for me. And cheaper ones at that.... anybody for a Pabst Blue Ribbon? For the record, I give PBR a solid B... higher than many popularly priced domestics... and if you factor in price, an A+.

A step forward on voting rights

Virginia is one of two states (Kentucky is the other) that permanently disenfranchises all felons by leaving the restoration process to the discretion of the governor. This week, Governor Bob McDonnell announced new, more streamlined steps for convicted felons to apply for restoration of their voting rights. Among the changes - the waiting period for nonviolent offenders has been reduced from three years to two and the processing time reduced to 60 days. While this announcement does not guarantee that the Commonwealth has eliminated the last vestiges of Jim Crow, it is clearly a step in a more enlightened direction.

CCC had been critical of then governor-elect McDonnell writing in December, "There ain't a snowball's chance in Hell the next governor will give a tinker's damn about this issue...." The governor, while still dancing on his right foot, has shown some flexibility on issues, especially when moderates and progressives get in his face and take issues to the people. Governor McDonnell is to be commended for opening a new discussion on voting rights.

That conversation now needs to move to the General Assembly. "It's a significant first step," Delegate Onzlee Ware (D-Roanoke) said. "It falls short, quite frankly, of the bill we want to see passed, but it's a step." Ware and others support amending the Virginia Constitution to make restoration of voting rights automatic following an administrative process.

With conservative Republicans in control of the House of Delegates, passage will have to navigate more potholes than I do on our gravel road. Perhaps Governor McDonnell is counting on that - he can look moderate and reasonable while relying on allies to axe the more significant reforms. It is up to we the people to keep up the pressure on legislators. Write your delegate and senator. Join with the ACLU of Virginia, The Sentencing Project, and The Virginia Interfaith Center to spread the word. Progress occurs when people stand up and speak out.