This week in The Tentacle - Wednesday August 6, 2008

20080806 This week in The Tentacle

This week in The Tentacle - Wednesday August 6, 2008

Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Insufficient Funds
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Recently the Carroll County Chapter of the Maryland Municipal League has been the focus of some unwanted and undesirable attention.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Guilty or Not?
Roy Meachum
The apparent suicide of a Fort Detrick scientist was the weekend's conversational rage. Everyone knows someone who knows someone – that’s how it went.


One’s Inexperience and Immaturity
Joan McIntyre
Those aspiring to elected office need to learn before applying that it's a tough job and requires an equally tough skin. Do you question why I use the phase "applying?"


Monday, August 4, 2008
Who's watching the watchers?
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Picture a rally against the death penalty or a gathering of anti-war protesters. Peace signs, Grateful Dead music, chanting, tie-dyed clothing, and soap-box speeches about injustice, inequality, and corrupt abuse of power.


“Mega Trends” Become Non-Sequiturs
Steven R. Berryman
Seems like chaos rules anymore when analyzing the changing trends in world happenings and trying to make things make sense. Much of it just doesn’t follow, as in non-sequiturs. There are just too many data points now for old method.


Friday, August 1, 2008
The Better Man
Roy Meachum
Someone please explain when two candidates are in a race, why do we call our choice the "best" man? According to various faiths and sects, the only certifiably best man wound up crucified in one form or another.

Clothespin Voters
Edward Lulie III
Clothespin sales must be booming. It isn’t that people are suddenly turning off clothes dryers and using wind and sunlight to dry clothes. No, this isn’t about saving electricity or energy. It’s all about politics.


Thursday, July 31, 2008
Changing Political Trends
Chris Cavey
Last weekend my family made a quick road-trip to Swormville, New York, a small hamlet northeast of Buffalo with a really cool looking volunteer fire station. The primary goal was a visit with my brother-in-law; however, some interesting facts about presidential politics were identified along the way.


Trashing Trash
Joan McIntyre
The 2008 trash discussions have turned into nothing but garbage. No reusing, no recycling and definitely no reduction in the verbal waste being thrown around, and very little, if any, accountability.


Wednesday, July 30, 2008
The Obama Phenomena
Kevin E. Dayhoff
With less than 100 days to go before the November presidential election, both presumptive candidates for the Oval Office continue to look for a key – knock-out – issue that will put them over the top.


Oh, Canada!
Tom McLaughlin
There are a many similarities between North Ontario, Canada and Western Maryland. One of the most obvious is the bears. Both areas must bow to what the residents consider regulations promulgated by a foreign government.


Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Graveyard of Armies
Roy Meachum
Both presidential candidates are in agreement: We are losing the war in Afghanistan. That's not what they say of course: We must shift troops from Iraq to take care of unfinished business in Afghanistan. I hope I managed to get that straight.


To Implement Justice – or Not
Farrell Keough
A recent conversation on the radio piqued my interest. A regular Tentacle columnist and our 3-B delegate to the General Assembly, Rick Weldon, talked about the decision facing Gov. Martin O’Malley on the death penalty.