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Monday, July 28, 2008

How Hateful Liberals Think

Click on the post title to get a taste of how many liberals think and how mean-spirited they can be.

It is from the blog of a local, liberal blogger who can't hold a job for more than six months. She blames the Republicans, conservatives and the so-called "corporate media" for all her problems as well as the problems of every one of the chronic complainers who tend to comment on her blog.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Flying Nuns

Went to a state little league tournament in Turbotville, PA. It is about 25 miles west of Bloomsburg and sure has an Amish presence. I carefully passed at least three horse-drawn buggies on the road in Turbotville.

Then I saw the flying nuns. Nah - that is just what it looked like. There was a big farmhouse next to the ball field. As I drove down the road towards the ball field, I saw a bunch of Amish girls/ women dressed in those black & white dresses flying around behind the house. I thought they were swinging in a bunch of large swings set up behind the farmhouse.

But when I got closer, I realized there were about 5-6 of them jumping on a trampoline! Too funny and what a cultural contrast huh? I was so pissed because I forgot my damn camera!

Cool Pic

Hat tip to Chip Ahoy via www.althouse.blogspot.com

Chip Ahoy is a commenter and he uses amimation software (I guess) to modify this picture of Ann Althouse in Los Angeles.

Click on post tile to see the pic.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Stuff Congress Has Neglected

For the last 2o-30 years, Congress has neglected many important issues. These include:
  • The ERISA legislation was enacted in 1974 and established IRA accounts with a $2,000 maximum annual contribution. It took Congress almost 35 years to raise the IRA maximum above $2,000. Why ? Are they so are out of touch with the average American?
  • The government failed to enforce immigration laws leading to a large-scale amnesty program in the 1980's. Now 30 years later, they have again failed to enforce laws and we have 12 million illegal immigrants with no incentive to go home or become legal residents.
  • Banks have a limit of $100,000 on FDIC insured balances. As far as I know the this limit has never been increased. Why not?
  • The "contributions" made by hard-working Americans to social security have been squandered in what Congress might call an inter-generational shell game. Those "contributions" are 12% of our earnings versus only 7-8% thirty years ago. Should Congress fix this? How much would it cost? Why hasn't it been fixed or should it stay broken for the next 1,000 years?
  • Today, many elected officials claim our infrastructure is falling apart. Americans have been paying gasoline taxes to the state and fed for years. Plus tolls and car/ license fees. What have they been doing with this money? Perhaps spending it on other stuff?
  • The war on drugs? Is it time to re-think tough drug laws and perhaps legalize some drugs? Would that reduce crime (fewer laws means fewer laws broken) and reduce the money we spend on jails, police and the cour system?
  • What is so wrong with allowing govt-issued school vouchers so conscientious parents can send their kids to a school that may work. If I had school-age kids in a big city, I would not want to wait for the Democrats to fix the public schools cause it ain't gonna happen for another 50 years if ever.
  • Energy- Part I. Back in the 1970's there were gasoline shortages and gas lines. Americans learned oil was a finite natural resources, so did Congress and what did Congress do to plan for growing demands for energy? Not much?
  • Energy Part II. Congress shows no energy or motivation to serve the people's interests unless they believe that involves bickering and grandstanding. Give me a good reason or two to support any member of Congress who has been in office for more than two terms?

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Bonusgate - Harrisburg Corruption Kept Nader Off 2004 Prez Ballot?

I see they are calling this political scandal "Bonusgate". It is alleged state legislators and their staff used state money to pay "bonuses" to staffers who in fact did work on political campains. Last week, the Pennsylvania attorney general indicted 12 people and today the Inquirer reports the illegal activities may have included an organized effort to impede Ralph Nader from getting on the state ballot in the 2004 presidential election. This is a pretty explosive charge if true. Below is the Inquirer story.


BONUSGATE TIED TO CAMPAIGN AGAINST NADER By Amy Worden
Inquirer Harrisburg Bureau


HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania - The tentacles of the Bonusgate scandal have spread to past presidential politics.

Buried deep in the grand jury report, released last week, that led to the indictment of 12 people are details of what is described as a "massive" effort by House Democrats to oust the independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader from the ballot in 2004.
Also, the report says, in 2006 the same machine fired up again to boot from the ballot Carl Romanelli, the Green Party candidate for the U.S. Senate in a race won by Democrat Bob Casey.
In light of the grand jury revelations of political work conducted with taxpayers' money, the candidates and reform advocates want a federal investigation into the ballot challenges, which they now think were the result of the criminal conspiracy that has come to be known as Bonusgate.
Harrisburg activist Gene Stilp filed a petition with the U.S. attorney here yesterday, asking him to look into whether any of those charged in the state investigation were also involved in federal elections while they were supposed to be working on state business as legislators and legislative aides.
"Everybody who runs for office should have a fair election that isn't subverted by alleged criminal activity," said Stilp.
House Majority Leader Bill DeWeese (D., Greene), who led the effort to oppose Nader, said yesterday through a spokesman that "those matters are for the U.S. attorney and courts to decide."
Martin Carlson, the U.S. attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, acknowledged that he had received Stilp's correspondence, but said it was the policy of his office "to decline to make any comment whatsoever regarding whether any matters are the subject of pending investigation."
The grand jury report, released by Attorney General Tom Corbett last week, alleges that former House Minority Whip Michael Veon of Beaver County ran a statewide political operation out of his Capitol and district offices involving hundreds of legislative workers on the House Democrats' payroll.
One of the House Democrats' most visible targets was Nader, who in 2004 was seeking to challenge Democrat John Kerry as well as President Bush. As many as 50 Pennsylvania House staff members worked on a challenge to Nader's ballot petition, and more than half received state-funded bonuses, in part for their "Nader efforts," according to the report.
A decision by Commonwealth Court, upheld by the state Supreme Court, found that most of the signatures for Nader were invalid.
Nader is locked in a battle with lawyers representing a group of Democratic voters over an order that he pay $81,000 in legal fees. Two of his personal bank accounts were frozen last year as a result.
Now, Nader says the charges against the House Democrats are cause to throw out that judgment against him.
"It looks like the judgment was the result of a criminal conspiracy," said Nader's attorney, Oliver Hall. "We will investigate our options to vacate the judgment."
Romanelli, who was thrown off the 2006 ballot for having improper signatures, said he would seek a new hearing on his case in Commonwealth Court. "This is absolutely hideous," said Romanelli. "I knew I was a victim of conspiracy on behalf of the Democratic Party."
Abe Amoros, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, said the grand jury report did not "exclude the fact that Ralph Nader and Carl Romanelli falsified their nominating petitions."
"I fail to see how this is the responsibility of the Democratic Party," he said. "They are rehashing their own inadequacies and their own incompetence to get on the ballot."
Both candidates maintain that the majority of their signatures were valid.

Contact staff writer Amy Worden at 717-783-2584 or
aworden@phillynews

Friday, July 11, 2008

Mayor Nutter...........

.........let me ask you a question. Yesterday, the news media reported that your city's population continued to decline. Since 1950 when it peaked at 2,071,605, Philadelphia's population has dropped by 31% to 1,449,634 in 2007. That means 3 out of 10 residents have left for greener pastures since 1950 (not a good trend Mr. Mayor).

But the number of city council seats has stayed the same at about 17. Why don't you consider saving city funds by reducing the number of city council districts? Fewer residents surely means there is less work for the city council.

Please don't get offended at my question. Just yesterday, when you posed your question about charging residents for trash collections, you defended it by saying it is just one of thousands of questions that gets asked.

Saturday, July 05, 2008

I Wonder




Look at the color of the leaves on this tree. Almost the same color as red wine ? I wonder if you ground up the leaves and made a potion, would it contain any medicinal properties like red wine is supposed to have? I have heard accidental discoveries are how many medicines are developed.

Friday, July 04, 2008

Your Flag & Ours




"Your Flag" rests (and dries off ) on our back porch after a long day waving in the wind on our front landing. I say "Your Flag" because though it may reside in our home, it is the flag of every American!