Category Archives: theVPO

Metapost: Radio spots & travel plans

[Knock, knock, knock.] Housekeeping.

A couple of business items on this Monday morning…

First, for those who don’t already know, I do a regular Monday morning chat with Chris Lenois at WKVT radio in Brattleboro — a fine station that, among other things, is an outlet for liberal radio talkers Stephanie Miller and Thom Hartmann. I appear live every Monday at about 7:35 pm. After the fact, our conversations are posted on WKVT’s website. This morning, you can catch us talking the primaries, including the different dramas in Vermont Republican and Democratic circles; also, Vermonters’ overwhelming approval of school budgets and what it says about Act 46, and the latest disturbing revelations about suspended Sen. Norm McAllister (R-Limbo).

Second, blogging may be more sporadic than usual for the next two weeks. I’ve got some family-related obligations that will take me in and out of Vermont. Nothing urgent, just some business that has to be taken care of. Thanks to the Internet I’ll be keeping up with Vermont politics and chiming in when my schedule permits.

This is also a good time for a reminder that you can sign up for an RSS feed. You’ll get a short email every time I post something. Your email address will be used only for that purpose; it won’t be sold for commercial or even nonprofit purposes. The sign-up thingy is in the right-hand column of this page.

That’s it, everybody. Be careful out there.

Metapost: Technical difficulties

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Hi folks, your friendly neighborhood blogger here.

You may have noticed a few formatting bugs in my most recent post. Well, here’s the story.

I came home tonight from a quick trip to Philadelphia (don’t ask) and sat down to write a post about Governor Shumlin’s Enterprise Fund-related tantrums.

And discovered that good old WordPress had gone and updated its posting system. Apparently the old system, which was less streamlined but which I was accustomed to using, is now gone. So I’m playing catch-up with the new system. I hate doing this stuff.

So, my apologies if there are glitches here and there. I’m trying.

The spreading VPO media empire

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Got a new gig. Pays just as well as this one, but it should be fun.

Every Monday morning at about 7:35, I’ll be talking politics and government on WKVT Radio, 100.3 FM and 1490 AM in Brattleboro. WKVT has a local morning show from 6-9 weekdays hosted by Chris Lenois. It’s always fun to talk politics; I’m also hoping this will give me a bit of a window on the concerns of southeastern Vermont, a place I seldom get to visit.

And this Monday only, for central Vermont listeners, I’ll be a guest on WDEV’s “Open Mike” with Mike Smith sometime during the 9:00 hour. (Will update when I know more.) You may recall that I’ve been critical of Mike in the past, and particularly slammed WDEV for replacing a real journalist, Mark Johnson, with a longtime Republican functionary. Well, they hired him, it’s their business, and I’ve said my piece.

Despite my occasional unkind words, Mike occasionally has me on to talk politics, which is the kind of politeness across the trenches that you often find in Vermont.

Anyway, happy to do it. Tune in if you can.

Metapost: Happy Generic Holidays and a Secular Humanist New Year

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The holidays will bring a lot of activity and some travel, so expect less blogging than usual until the new year begins. There will be posts, but only as time permits.

And a reminder: you can subscribe to theVPO’s RSS feed. Every time I post, you’ll get an email. The link is on the right side of this page somewhere.

Metapost: Apparently I’m an established blogger now

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In recent weeks, a new kind of advertising has appeared on these pages. This is because WordPress has accepted me into its WordAds program. My blog has high and consistent enough traffic that it’s worth their while to sell ad space on theVPO and send me some of the proceeds.

It’s a nice accomplishment, especially for a blog with relatively niche appeal. I appreciate all my regular readers; just by visiting, you’re helping put a little coin in the tip jar. This includes the gun-rights crowd that keeps coming back and back in response to my background check post. Thanks, guys! Your comments say “no,” but your pageviews say “yes.”

As for the ads themselves. I have no control over which advertisers are featured. Indeed, I suspect that different readers see different ads. I think it’s based, at least partly, on your recent browser history. Example: earlier this week I went to Hotwire for some travel arrangements. Since then, I’ve been seeing Hotwire ads on theVPO when I visit to check on comments.

That’s all. Carry on. You keep visiting, I’ll keep writing.

VTGOP Chair gets pwned

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David Sunderland picked the wrong guy to mess with.

The easily-outraged Vermont Republican Party chair tried to manufacture a phony-baloney uproar about an alleged affront to nonpartisanship in the Secretary of State’s office. An affront that, mirabile dictu, had its origin right here in this little ol’ blog.

And in response, he got a quick trip to the Smackdown Hotel courtesy of Secretary of State Jim Condos.

Let’s take this from the top, shall we?

Today, Sunderland sent a letter to Condos about “a concerning display of political bias.” And immediately released it to the media, and posted it on the VTGOP website. Almost as if he was more interested in raising a stink than in resolving the situation.

It has been brought to my attention that in comments on a hyper-partisan, far left blog the state’s Director of Municipal Elections, Campaign Finance, Candidates/Parties, and Party Organization, J.P. Isabelle, makes comments that clearly establish a concerning political bias.

Oooh, “a hyper-partisan, far left blog.” I wonder what he could be talking about.

*cough*

Continue reading →

Return of theVPO Media Crossover Event!!!

theVPO Media Crossover Event!

Apology and retraction re: Sunderland essay

A Memorial Day story

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On July 15, 1917, a young man I’ll call W. reported for duty with the 4th Ohio National Guard. He was an executive with a bright future in the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company; he had gotten married only two months earlier. But the Allies were desperate for help against Germany, and the United States was mobilizing as quickly as it could. W., a veteran of the 4th Ohio’s campaign against Pancho Villa the previous year, was a Second Lieutenant.

At the time, the U.S. had the merest shadow of a standing military, so the Guard troops were pressed into service. The 4th Ohio was folded into the new 42nd (Rainbow) Division of the U.S. Army, which included Guard troops from several states. (Hence “Rainbow.”) After training in Ohio and New York, the men shipped out to Europe in mid-October. They suffered a very rough two-week crossing in a hastily refitted cargo ship that had formerly carried fruit from South America. It was only the first of many privations they would endure.

The war was not going well. After three years of stalemate on the Western Front, Germany was winning elsewhere. Russia was collapsing, and Italy was in retreat. Soon, Germany would be able to concentrate its forces in the West. The poorly trained and outfitted Americans were desperately needed to prevent the Germans from overrunning the battered French and British forces.

The winter of 1917-18 was one of the coldest on record. The men of the 42nd trained, marched, and bivouacked in extreme discomfort. But that would seem mild in comparison to the harsh fighting of the spring and summer, as the Germans mounted an all-out offensive and the Allies desperately fought to turn the tide.

In mid-February, the 42nd was ordered into the front lines. On the transport train, Lieutenant W. began to suffer intense pain. From his diary:

“Rt. upper bicuspid which had nerve killed, formed abscess. Grew extremely painful so had Bill Seamans our dentist try to yank it out. He pulled and hauled and then broke it off. Wow! But that relieved the pressure on the abscess, and I was able to sleep a bit.”

His stoicism would serve him well. From late February to late June, Lieutenant W. and his men served in the trenches of the Western Front, a scene of unimaginable devastation.