Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

20060530 KDDC Tales From Packaging Hell


Tales From Packaging Hell

Hopefully - as I grow older, kind younger adults will take an interest in my welfare, as I worry that I will starve to death trying to unpackage my food... Either that or power tools will continue to be miniaturized. What the world needs now is a small kitchen chainsaw for unpackaging electronics and food et. al., from the impenetrable plastic from hell.

From "Wired" news, please reads: "Tales From Packaging Hell."

One of the enjoyable paragraphs reads:

"The issue has become such a problem for customers that Consumer Reports in March issued its first-ever Oyster Awards, a tongue-in-cheek "honor" for the most
difficult-to-open packaging genres. Topping that list was the packaging that
electronics are most frequently found in, the PVC clamshell."


Hat tip: Dave Barry's Blog.

####

20060530 KDDC Trouble at DiFi's Palace?


Next time you hear Sen. Dianne Feinstein complain about rich Republicans and "tax breaks for the rich," think of this article from SFluxe. Seems that DiFi has run afoul of the city officials with her re-landscaping plans for her new but "modest," $16.5 million home.
Enjoy the pictures and read the article, here: "Trouble at Di’s Palace?"
The "story has a happy ending, afterall!"
####

20060530 KDDC Lawmaker chews on legislation



Lawmaker chews on legislation

This may be the only thing we did NOT see in the last session of the Maryland General Assembly:

Hat Tip: Wonkette

Tuesday, May 30, 2006 Posted: 1620 GMT (0020 HKT)

TAPEI, Taiwan (Reuters) -- Pandemonium broke out in Taiwan's parliament
Tuesday when deputies attacked a woman colleague for snatching and trying to eat a proposal on opening direct transport links with China in a bid to stop a vote
on the issue.

Lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) charged
toward the podium and protested noisily to prevent the review of an opposition
proposal seeking an end to decades-old curbs on direct air and shipping links
with China.


Amid the chaos, DPP deputy Wang Shu-hui snatched the written proposal
from an opposition legislator and shoved it into her mouth, television news
footage showed.


Wang later spat out the document and tore it up after opposition
lawmakers failed to get her to cough it up by pulling her hair.


During the melee, another DPP woman legislator, Chuang Ho-tzu, spat at
an opposition colleague.

####

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

20060524 Columns on Frederick John Magsamen

Columns on Frederick John Magsamen
May 24th, 2006
Westminster Eagle on May 24th, 2006:
“Next Monday, Carroll County will commemorate Memorial Day. The tradition of the Memorial Day parade and ceremony in Westminster began in 1868. That year, Mary Bostwick Shellman followed General ...”
The most comprehensive column on Freddy Magsamen is in the
May 24, 2006, “Lest We Forget!” Kevin E. Dayhoff
Monday is Memorial Day. It was almost 140 years ago that the tradition of setting aside a day to honor our country's fallen heroes began with Gen. John A. Logan's May 5th, 1868 General Order No. 11 to adorn the graves of Union soldiers with flowers.
Also, related:
####
Labels: Magsamen Frederick John, Military, Military Memorial Day, Military Veterans Day, People Carroll County, Vietnam, Winchester Report, Westminster Eagle, The Tentacle

20060524 Columns on Frederick John Magsamen






Columns on Frederick John Magsamen

May 24th, 2006

Westminster Eagle on May 24th, 2006:

On Memorial Day, Westminster's own Freddy Magsamen is No. 11 in our hearts 05/24/06 - By Kevin E. Dayhoff:

“Next Monday, Carroll County will commemorate Memorial Day. The tradition of the Memorial Day parade and ceremony in Westminster began in 1868. That year, Mary Bostwick Shellman followed General ...”

Read the rest here:

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=978&show=archivedetails&ArchiveID=1189178&om=1

The most comprehensive column on Freddy Magsamen is in the

Winchester Report on the Westminster Eagle Website:

On Memorial Day, Freddy Magsamen is No. 11 in our hearts

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=722063&CategoryID=18298&show=localnews&om=20

The Tentacle

http://www.thetentacle.com/author.cfm?MyAuthor=41

May 24, 2006, “Lest We Forget!” Kevin E. Dayhoff

http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=1615

Monday is Memorial Day. It was almost 140 years ago that the tradition of setting aside a day to honor our country's fallen heroes began with Gen. John A. Logan's May 5th, 1868 General Order No. 11 to adorn the graves of Union soldiers with flowers.

Read the rest here.

Also, related:

Carroll County Maryland Vietnam Memorial Park, Westminster

####

Labels: Magsamen Frederick John, Military, Military Memorial Day, Military Veterans Day, People Carroll County, Vietnam, Winchester Report, Westminster Eagle, The Tentacle

20060529 KDDC Westminster Memorial Day Pics















Westminster Maryland Memorial Day Pictures
by my brother-in-law, "Uncle Ron."
May 29, 2006

Monday, May 29, 2006

20060529 Westminster Memorial Day Pics by Uncle Ron












Westminster Maryland Memorial Day Pictures
by my brother-in-law, "Uncle Ron."
May 29, 2006


http://www.kevindayhoff.net/

20060529 Westminster Memorial Day ceremonies pics






Pictures from Westminster Maryland's Memorial Day Ceremony at the Westminster Cemetery
May 29th, 2006

Thanks to "Uncle Ron" for some of the pictures.

20060528 KDDC 18680505 Memorial Day Origins

Memorial Day Origins

According to the Historical Society of Carroll County:


“Miss (Mary Bostwick) Shellman began Westminster's observance of Memorial Day on May 30, 1868 when she organized local schoolchildren to place flowers on the graves of Westminster's Civil War dead.”


From unattributed notes in my file, the origins of Memorial Day go back to:


Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of former Union soldiers and sailors - the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) - established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.


Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared it should be May 30. The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.


The cemetery already held the remains of 20,000 Union dead and several hundred Confederate dead.


Presided over by Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant and other Washington officials, the Memorial Day ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee.


After speeches, children from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.


Local Observances Claim To Be First


Local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead already had been held in various places.


One of the first occurred in Columbus, Miss., April 25, 1866, when a group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of the bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves, as well.


Today cities in the North and the South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866. Both Macon and Columbus, Ga., claim the title, as well as Richmond, Va. The village of Boalsburg, Pa., claims it began there two years earlier.


A stone in a Carbondale, Ill., cemetery carries the statement that the first Decoration Day ceremony took place there on April 29, 1866. Carbondale was the wartime home of Gen. Logan. Approximately 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, many of them in the South where most of the war dead were buried.


Official Birthplace Declared


In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the "birthplace" of Memorial Day. There a ceremony on May 5, 1866, was reported to have honored local soldiers and sailors who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-mast. Supporters of Waterloo's claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.


By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation.


State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day. The Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities. It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars.


In 1971 Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, and designated as the last Monday in May.

####

20060529 KDDC 18680505 General John A Logans Memorial Day Order




18680505 General John A Logans Memorial Day Order

GENERAL JOHN A. LOGAN'S MEMORIAL DAY ORDER

General Order No. 11 - Headquarters, Grand Army of the Republic Washington, D.C.,

May 5, 1868

I. The 30th day of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form or ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

We are organized, comrades, as our regulations tell us, for the purpose, among other things, "of preserving and strengthening those kind and fraternal feelings which have bound together the soldiers, sailors, and marines who united to suppress the late rebellion." What can aid more to assure this result than by cherishing tenderly the memory of our heroic dead, who made their breasts a barricade between our country and its foe? Their soldier lives were the reveille of freedom to a race in chains, and their death a tattoo of rebellious tyranny in arms. We should guard their graves with sacred vigilance. All that the consecrated wealth and taste of the Nation can add to their adornment and security is but a fitting tribute to the memory of her slain defenders. Let no wanton foot tread rudely on such hallowed grounds. Let pleasant paths invite the coming and going of reverent visitors and found mourners. Let no vandalism of avarice or neglect, no ravages of time, testify to the present or to the coming generations that we have forgotten, as a people, the cost of free and undivided republic.

If other eyes grow dull and other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain in us.

Let us, then, at the time appointed, gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with choicest flowers of springtime; let us raise above them the dear old flag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence renew our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us as sacred charges upon the Nation's gratitude,--the soldier's and sailor's widow and orphan.

II. It is the purpose of the Commander-in-Chief to inaugurate this observance with the hope it will be kept up from year to year, while a survivor of the war remains to honor the memory of his departed comrades. He earnestly desires the public press to call attention to this Order, and lend its friendly aid in bringing it to the notice of comrades in all parts of the country in time for simultaneous compliance therewith.

III. Department commanders will use every effort to make this order effective.

By command of:
JOHN A. LOGAN,
Commander-in-Chief.

N. P. CHIPMAN,
Adjutant-General.

20060528 KDDC 1891 Ferris Delicious Hams and Bacon


1891 Ferris Delicious Hams and Bacon

20060528 Disappointment with suburbs leads some back to small towns by Diane Reynolds Carroll County Times

Disappointment with suburbs leads some back to small towns

By Diane Reynolds, Times Staff Writer Sunday, May 28, 2006

As Americans fled to the suburbs in the decades after World War II, small towns suffered, according to Linda Semu, associate professor of sociology at McDaniel College.

As small towns became depopulated, many downtown retail stores closed, said Semu. Family-owned businesses were unable to compete with large chains that could buy products at deeper discounts and sell them at lower prices.

But some began to sour on the suburbs. As described by Andres Duany, Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk and Jeff Speck in their book "Suburban Nation," the suburban dream for many turned out to be a nightmare.

Suburban migration continues, however. Much of it is now exurban migration as people move beyond suburbs ringing cities to suburbs on cornfields near towns far from major urban centers.

With a better understanding of the social costs of suburbanization, rising energy prices and a growing appreciation of the livability of small towns like Union Bridge, some residents express optimism that the coming wave of suburbanization can be managed in a way that will enhance life for everyone.

Sobering reality

Many sociologists and urban planners have taken a close look at the suburban building binge of the last half-century and found it wanting.

A scathing 1996 article by Karl Zinsmeister in The American Enterprise sums up many of the problems caused by suburbanization.

Individuals and families get isolated in cul-de-sac communities. People become dependent on cars, because there is nowhere to walk, no sidewalks to walk on, and no community to walk in. People don't see their neighbors.


Men began working far from their homes, and, Zinsmeister argued, mothers quickly fled the overwhelming isolation of the suburban lives - where they were trapped with the daunting task of raising children without the traditional supports of friends and family - to seek jobs where at least they interacted with other adults. As women left the home, children were increasingly farmed out to paid caretakers, and large suburban houses stood empty day after day.

Children suffered, too. With nowhere to walk, they became completely dependent on adults with cars to do the simplest things. They turned to television to experience the community that was missing from their lives, Zinsmeister argued.

"In this respect," quotes author Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, "families living in today's richest suburbs are barely better off than families living in the slums."

By 1996, a Gallup poll showed that more people - 37 percent - wanted to live in a small town than wanted to live in a suburb - 25 percent.

But suburbanization had led to boarded-up main streets in the very small towns people decided they were longing for.

In the 1990s, new urbanism began to become more popular as planners discovered that houses on smaller lots, with big front porches and garages tucked behind homes, led to more neighborliness and interaction, improving people's quality of life, according to Philip Langdon, author of "A Better Place to Live: Reshaping the American Suburb."

Small-town alternative

Read the entire article here: Disappointment with suburbs leads some back to small towns

Governance Planning Sprawl Growth Development Strain

20060528 Disappointment with suburbs leads some back to small towns by Diane Reynolds Carroll County Times

20060528 KDDC Dinner at Baugher's last Friday


20060526 Baugher's Memorial Day
(c) Kevin Dayhoff

Sunday, May 28, 2006

20060528 18680505 Memorial Day Origins

Memorial Day Origins

According to the Historical Society of Carroll County:


“Miss (Mary Bostwick) Shellman began Westminster's observance of Memorial Day on May 30, 1868 when she organized local schoolchildren to place flowers on the graves of Westminster's Civil War dead.”


From unattributed notes in my file, the origins of Memorial Day go back to:


Three years after the Civil War ended, on May 5, 1868, the head of an organization of former Union soldiers and sailors - the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) - established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.


Maj. Gen. John A. Logan declared it should be May 30. The first large observance was held that year at Arlington National Cemetery, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C.


The cemetery already held the remains of 20,000 Union dead and several hundred Confederate dead.


Presided over by Gen. and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant and other Washington officials, the Memorial Day ceremonies centered around the mourning-draped veranda of the Arlington mansion, once the home of Gen. Robert E. Lee.


After speeches, children from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphan Home and members of the GAR made their way through the cemetery, strewing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, reciting prayers and singing hymns.


Local Observances Claim To Be First


Local springtime tributes to the Civil War dead already had been held in various places.


One of the first occurred in Columbus, Miss., April 25, 1866, when a group of women visited a cemetery to decorate the graves of Confederate soldiers who had fallen in battle at Shiloh. Nearby were the graves of Union soldiers, neglected because they were the enemy. Disturbed at the sight of the bare graves, the women placed some of their flowers on those graves, as well.


Today cities in the North and the South claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day in 1866. Both Macon and Columbus, Ga., claim the title, as well as Richmond, Va. The village of Boalsburg, Pa., claims it began there two years earlier.


A stone in a Carbondale, Ill., cemetery carries the statement that the first Decoration Day ceremony took place there on April 29, 1866. Carbondale was the wartime home of Gen. Logan. Approximately 25 places have been named in connection with the origin of Memorial Day, many of them in the South where most of the war dead were buried.


Official Birthplace Declared


In 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the "birthplace" of Memorial Day. There a ceremony on May 5, 1866, was reported to have honored local soldiers and sailors who had fought in the Civil War. Businesses closed and residents flew flags at half-mast. Supporters of Waterloo's claim say earlier observances in other places were either informal, not community-wide or one-time events.


By the end of the 19th century, Memorial Day ceremonies were being held on May 30 throughout the nation.


State legislatures passed proclamations designating the day. The Army and Navy adopted regulations for proper observance at their facilities. It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars.


In 1971 Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, and designated as the last Monday in May.

####

20060523 KDDC Proud Preakness needs overhaul

Proud Preakness needs overhaul (Fauquier Times-Democrat, VA)

An interesting commentary on Barbaro’s injury at the Preakness in Baltimore at the second leg of Triple Crown on Saturday, May 20th, 2006 and on race day, the track facilities and Pimlico; by someone who seems to know a little about horses and horseracing.

Hat Tip: Maryland Department of Agriculture News Clippings

Proud Preakness needs overhaul (Fauquier Times-Democrat, VA)

By Jackie Burke - an author based near Orlean.

05/23/2006

Proud Preakness needs overhaul

Staff

Mede Cahaba Stable owner Mignon Smith was so inspired by Barbaro’s Kentucky Derby win that she ordered tickets and a bus so that 44 friends could attend the Preakness Stakes with her this past Saturday.

For a number of years I was employed by the Washington, D.C.-based Mede Cahaba, a large multi-state racing and breeding business, and before that I learned to post as one of Smith’s riding students at the original Mede Cahaba stable in my native Birmingham, Ala.

So I was offered two tickets to the big event and in turn I invited friend and new neighbor Julia Thieriot. As we boarded the bus Saturday, a perfect spring morning, I promised Julia a memorable time.

The bus rumbled north, carrying a congenial group with a general air of electric anticipation that only an event such as the Preakness Stakes can generate. Had I realized what a memorable and horrific day lay before us, I would have stayed in bed.


Read the rest of the story here: Proud Preakness needs overhaul (Fauquier Times-Democrat, VA)

20060527 KDDC Its Electric fnp


Photo by Skip Lawrence. It was captioned in the article as: “Paul Garvison's Neighborhood Electric Vehicle can reach speeds of 30 mph and last about 15 miles before it must be recharged.”

It's electric


With gas prices skyrocketing, one local driver has found a way to save a few dollars by riding a current trend
Published on May 27, 2006



FREDERICK -- Paul Garvison of Frederick has found a way to escape the rising cost of traveling by car -- at least for 15 to 20 miles.

Mr. Garvison owns a battery powered Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, which can reach speeds of 30 mph and lasts about 15 miles before it needs to be recharged. The car, white with a checkered stripe on the side, has four seats, but its narrow width allows for only one windshield wiper.

Known as IT, for Innovative Transportation, the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle is made by Dynasty Electric Car Corp. of British Columbia, Canada.

"It is perfect for around town use," Mr. Garvison said.

According to the Electric Auto Association, as many as 10,000 full sized electric cars are on U.S. roads today.

Read the rest of the story here: It's electric

Saturday, May 27, 2006

20060527 KDDC 1891 Ferris Good Sense Corset Waists



1891 Ferris’ Good Sense Corset Waists

20060527 KDDC Gamber Union Bridge and St John Carnival schedules



The carnival season for the season kicks off for the summer with the Gamber and Union Bridge firefighters’ annual event and the St. John Catholic Church carnival. (The hyperlinks should take you to each carnival’s Web-page.)

Carrie Ann Knauer with the Carroll County Times has the story in the Saturday, May 27th, 2006 edition of the Carroll County Times.

The Carroll County Times does not use permalinks – please find their entire article pasted below:

Carnival season to begin early

By Carrie Ann Knauer, Times Staff Writer

Saturday, May 27, 2006

The Carroll County carnival season will kick off two days early this year as the Gamber and Community fire company opens its carnival today.

Carnivals are a major fundraising source for Carroll County's fire companies, said Clay Myers, public information officer for Gamber. The carnivals usually run from Monday to Saturday, so if it rains one of those days, you lose one-sixth of your profits, Myers said.

Gamber's carnival has traditionally started on Memorial Day, but it has seemed like every year it got rained out one or two nights, he said. So when the carnival company told them this winter that they didn't have any bookings the week before Memorial Day, both parties agreed it would be a good idea to start the carnival on a Saturday this year. They hope the two extra days will be a buffer for any rained-out nights, Myers said.

While offering the two extra nights didn't cost the fire company any extra money up front, it has been more difficult to get volunteers to work the two extra days, he said.

"Carnival week is really hard for everyone," Myers said. "We're just keeping our fingers crossed for eight nights of [great] weather."

One small change for Sunday at the carnival is that there will be no gambling or games of chance, such as bingo or the gun jar, as is required by county law, Myers said. The fire company will still be able to sell raffle tickets, since the drawing won't be until the following Saturday, he said, and all of the carnival games, such as darts and basketball toss, will be carried on.

Along with the Gamber and Community fire company carnival, the Union Bridge volunteer fire company will also hold its fire carnival this week, starting Monday.

Dave Buffington, fire carnival chairman, said the fire company enjoys having the carnival start on Memorial Day. Many of the town residents attend the Memorial Day service organized by the Union Bridge VFW, which will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, and then come to the carnival for dinner, Buffington said.

"It kind of works hand in hand," Buffington said. "Memorial Day is always a big event."


What makes the Union Bridge carnival special is that all of the food is homemade, Buffington said. Fried chicken, pit beef, pit turkey, Italian sausage, pizza and funnel cakes - volunteers within the community prepare all of it, he said.

St. John Church and School members are looking forward to kicking off their carnival on Monday as well. Jenny Scott, president of the school's Parents, Teachers and Friends Association, said the carnival committee will build on its experiences from the first carnival last year to make this year's carnival bigger and better.

Scott said the theme of this year's carnival will be "A Christian Family Tradition." The church has a congregation of about 14,000 people, she said, so many of the members don't get to meet at the usual church events. The carnival, however, was an opportunity for all different sectors of the church to meet and interact, Scott said.

"We had lots of young families," Scott said, and will try to offer even more games for the very young children who come to the carnival.

Even in its first year, the carnival quickly became one of the biggest fundraisers for the church, Scott said. The money raised from the carnival will go toward the school and youth ministries, she said.

If you go:

Gamber Carnival Schedule

n Today: Entertainment by Iron Ridge (bluegrass)

n Sunday: Entertainment by Bob Plunkert and Real Country

n Monday: Fireworks at night, entertainment by Ten Cent Penny Band (classic country rock)

n Tuesday: Entertainment by Salem Bottom Boys (bluegrass)

n Wednesday: Entertainment by Big Cam and the Lifters (oldies)

n Thursday: Entertainment by Just Plain Country

n Friday: Entertainment by C.B. Pickers (bluegrass)

n June 3: Raffle drawings, entertainment by Poison Whiskey (good ol' classic southern rock)

Carnival opens 6 p.m. nightly, special ride prices on Tuesday and Thursday.

St. John Carnival Schedule

n Monday: Noon to 5 p.m. matinee rides after the Memorial Day Parade

n Tuesday: 6 to 10 p.m., entertainment by Big Cam & the Lifters

n Wednesday: 6 to 10 p.m., entertainment by Full Gospel Boogie Band

n Thursday: 6 to 10 p.m., Karaoke Night, "Your Idol Time"

n Friday: 6 to 11 p.m., entertainment by Satyr Hill Band

n Saturday: Matinee rides from noon to 4 p.m., entertainment by Aces Up

Discount tickets available in advance at St. John School; call 410-848-4744.

Union Bridge Carnival Schedule

n Monday: 6 p.m. Memorial Day Service at Mountain View Cemetery (across from 7-Eleven), entertainment by Country Fever

n Tuesday: Special Ride Night from 7 to 10 p.m., entertainment by Tall in the Saddle (country variety)

n Wednesday: Fireman's Parade at 7 p.m.

n Thursday: Special Ride Night from 7 to 10 p.m., entertainment by Bob Plunkert and Real Country

n Friday: Entertainment by No Alibi (country rock)

n Saturday: Raffle drawings, entertainment by No Xit Band (rock)

Lunches served 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday to Friday. Dinner platters served 4 to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday.