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November 25, 2005

Remembering Warmer Days

Sebastien giving Drew a proper English spot on Mountaineers Route, Coopers Rock State Forest.

November 18, 2005

The Economics of Fair Trade

David Koyzis has opened a discussion about this essay from the Action Institute regarding the economic validity of fair trade practices as they apply to the coffee industry. I've already added my two pence to the discussion on Dr. Koyzis' site, and I need to do more homework to write anything further. I do, however, want to underscore one comment from the discussion, from Pantagruelist Caleb Stegall:

The error both fair traders and Acton fall into is the same, and it isn't an economic error but a moral failing. Both arrogantly assume that a subsistence peasantry is a mean and ugly thing and a blight on the modern enlightened world. Both seek to destroy said peasantry either by enslaving them to markets or entitlements.

There's much truth to that. Two things in response. First, as I said in the discussion, I'd rather err on the side of the fair trade model than the free market model. In the end, even if the farmer's become enslaved to entitlements, they're likely better off. Second, I think there are ways to work within the Fair Trade model without rearranging the culture of farming within the communities. Companies like Dean's Beans focus on doing what the farming communities need, not what the company thinks the communities need.

November 16, 2005

Practical Art

Last night, as part of Jen's birthday celebration, we went to hear Ted Kooser, the current Poet Laureate, speak at Chatham College. Jen has read several of Kooser's books of prose for her coursework, and she has spoken well of him, so I gladly went along. I was intrigued because Kooser has fashioned himself as a bit of localist, staying close to his Midwestern roots, and focusing his writing around his home.

Kooser didn't read much, instead providing a humorous biographical sketch and then taking questions from the audience. I was struck by two things -- his humility and his emphasis on accessible art, especially poetry. Kooser may strike some as an unlikely Poet Laureate. He spend 35 or so years as a desk jockey at an insurance company, writing his poetry in the mornings before he left for the office. Kooser was also quite critical of the vicious circle that literary criticism has created -- in order for critics to properly write, they must examine art that must interpreted. In turn, writers create denser and denser art to feed the critics (and get published). He specifically mentioned Pound and Eliot -- poets who required a profound amount of knowledge just to approach their work. Kooser believes art must be accessible, and he writes not for the academic crowd, but for, as an example, the people he worked with before he retired. To that end, Kooser's poetry and prose tends to be abundantly descriptive and focused.

The talk reminded me of this post by Maclin Horton:

It helps to alleviate the melancholy of contemplating these situations to remember that in none of them do we know the end of the story. Many years ago, in the mid-1970s, I made the decision, for purely pragmatic reasons, to give up my plans for an academic career in literature and to take up a practical trade, studying computer science. Some time after that I ran into an acquaintance whom I hadn’t seen for five or six years. We were standing in line for something or other and briefly catching up on what each of us had been doing. I told him I was learning to be a computer programmer and added, perhaps a bit defensively, that this was an odd place for me to end up. He replied, "Well, maybe you ain't finished ending up yet."

November 14, 2005

Food for Thought

I haven't had the motivation to write a coherent, cohesive entry for some time, so here are some quick hits. Hopefully many will be given a better treatment sometime soon....

On the commute

I've really come to enjoy the new ride. Instead of fighting traffic, weaving in and out of cars, and trying to time traffics, I'm treating to a ride over the river as the sun crests the horizon, followed by two miles of gentle spinning in a wooded valley with a creek to my side, and then four miles of rolling hills on a lightly used road. The ride home is even better, hitting the valley as night falls, this evening under the light of an almost full moon. My bike has nearly completed the transformation from street-saavy track bike to utilitarian commuter. I've just installed a headlight, as roughly a third of the ride home does not have the luxury of street lights. I've even bolted a water bottle cage to the frame, albeit to carry the battery for the lamp. I'm now faced with the dilemma of upsizing my rear cog a bit to ease the ride as the week comes to an end.

Politics

There's the beginnings of what should be an interesting discussion on the immediate future of politics in the United States here. Unfortunately, you must, unfortunately, be blessed by the Nocturnal Council to post.

World Rally Championship

The 2005 campaign ended this weekend in Australia without much fanfare, as Sebastien Loeb secured the title roughly four rallies ago. Loeb did have something to gun for, however, as he could break the record for rally wins in a season (10). It wasn't to be, however, as the normally fast rally turned into a war of attrition as Loeb crashed out on Leg 1, followed by Marcus Gronholm, Colin McRae and Petter Solberg. Francois Duval salvaged his lackluster season by inheriting the win, with Mitsubishi's Harri Rovanpera and privateer Manfred Stohl rounding out the podium.

It should be an interesting off season, as both Citroen and Peugeot will take at least a one year sabbatical from the championship. Loeb has signed with the privateer Kronos team to continue behind the wheel of Citroen. Loeb will maintain his ties with the French outfit in order to reclaim his factory seat when Citroen returns to the championship. Marcus Gronholm has signed with Ford for 2006, leading what could be a very promising charge for the Blue Oval. Duval and Peugeot's Markko Martin have not secured drives for next season however. Only Subaru has set their roster, with both Solberg and youngster Chris Atkinson returning. Mitsubishi has also indicated it will keep its current lineup of Gigi Galli and Harri Rovanpera, with Gilles Panizzi driving a third works cars on the sealed surface events. Ford has not yet indicated if it will retain Toni Gardemeister for the second factory seat next to Gronholm. It's expected that the Blue Oval won't make a move until Martin's status is known. Skoda will also have an open seat, with the retirement of Armin Schwarz. There are rumors that McRae would ink a deal for a fulltime drive with the Czech outfit.

November 10, 2005

Local News (or the Long, Slow Death of Public Education in Pittsburgh)

Last night, Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt, announced a plan to close 20 city schools as both a cost cutting measure and a way to be serve the youth of Pittsburgh. this map shows the schools that will close or be relocated. I'm not sure what to think about the closing of the Morningside grade school (the one right across the street from our house). There are some in the neighborhood who don't like it, and believe it brings the wrong sorts of kids into the neighborhood, but our jury is still out. I do know that an abandoned building isn't likely to help the neighborhood much, either.

November 07, 2005

Local Events

Via the Thomas Merton Center, there is a series of discussions at the Squirrel Hill Branch of the Carnegie Library about Christianity and its response to socio-economic issues. Tonight the discussion will center on the environment as a Christian concern, and future discussions will look at Christianity and factory farming, and Christianity and the consumer culture.

It's really too bad these discussions happen at 5:30 PM. I'd love to go.