Dayhoff Westminster Soundtrack

Sunday, January 07, 2007

20070103 Jamie Kelly and Megyn Kendall link rumors denied

20070103 Jamie Kelly and Megyn Kendall link rumors

Jamie Kelly and Megyn Kendall link rumors denied

January 3^rd, 2007 – January 6^th, 2007

It what can only be understand as “news” to a certain someone in Mr. Jamie Kelly’s life; rumors of a link between Fox News Channel journalist Megyn Kendal and our own Jamie Kelly of the Carroll County Times, were vigorous denied by Mr. Kelly in a recent phone call.

Avid readers of the Carroll County Times are usually aware when various members of the local paper’s news staff go missing from time-to-time.

And it was not unnoticed that Carroll County Times city desk editor Jamie Kelly took some time off recently

Then, as a coincidence(?) it was announced as the new year began, that Fox News Channel personality Megyn Kendall has changed her name – to Kelly.

Hmmmm.

FishbowlDC reported that she changed her name back to her maiden name.

Could this be a ruse to put us off the trail of a breaking news story right here at home in Carroll County? Inquiring minds want to know.

First, on June 22, 2006, there was an oblique link between Jamie Kelly and Megyn Kelly…

But rumors really began flying as early as last July 28^th, 2006, when it was rumored that Mr. Kelly was spotted with Ms. Kendall at the Cafe Milano in DC eating pizza.

Ms. Kendall “was wearing a tight white strapless summer dress and looked gorgeous. She also is sporting platinum blonde hair now. She sat in the corner seat at the bar on the left as you walk into the bar area.”

And Mr. Kelly, well, he was dressed in his usual young journalist attire; jeans, blue shirt – with the shirt tail hanging out, a new brown and yellow stripped sweater. Reports were that he looked rather dapper.

And then, the day after Christmas, Ms. “Kendall (was spotted) at the Pentagon City Nordstrom… She was wandering around men’s furnishings talking on her cellphone. She’s very attractive (not just hot for D.C.), but she definitely looks older in person than on t.v. She also has a smoker’s voice that’s kind of sexy on t.v., but not so much in person.”

Well, we all know that Mr. Kelly is a clothes-horse and loves Nordstrom.

Is it that Mr. Kelly, who has recently been feeling a bit under the weather, has been running himself ragged in his double-life?

Is it all just a coincidence?

Then how does one explain this photo that has recently surfaced?

“Photoshop” says Mr. Kelly.

“That’s just crap and you know it," responded Mr. Kelly (with a smile.) “There is no truth to the rumor that I’ve hooked-up with Megyn Kendall – or Kelly, or whatever her name is,” waxed Mr. Kelly.

Meanwhile, Jeff Bercovici and John Cook posting on “Radar Online” has reported upon a possible link between Ms. Megyn Kelly and Brit Hume.

For months, a rumor has been circulating among TV news insiders in Washington, D.C., and New York that Brit Hume, Fox News Channel's managing editor in Washington and host of prime-time hour Special Report, has been having an extramarital affair with a younger colleague. The object of his alleged attentions: Megyn Kendall, a general-assignment correspondent who has been with the network since 2004.

There is no evidence to suggest that the rumors are true. Of the half-dozen sources who relayed the allegation to Radar, none could claim first-hand knowledge, and several Fox insiders said they believed it to be false. Still, the whispers have grown so loud that Hume and Kendall have been forced to deny them repeatedly to curious colleagues. (One Fox source said Hume seemed genuinely amused and somewhat flattered to be linked by gossip to the attractive and much younger Kendall.) A Fox spokesperson also flatly denied it, and suggested it was being "shopped around" by enemies of the network.

(Well, one thing is for sure, here at Soundtrack, we know that we totally made-up a connection between Jamie Kelly and Megyn Kelly because, well, we just couldn’t help ourselves. Mr. Kelly is way too much fun and besides, it was too good a coincidence and a wonderful photoshopping opportunity.)

For now, we’re going to take Mr. Kelly at his word. But we’ll keep our ears to the ground and you’ll be the first to know if we find any additional information on this story of intrigue and wonder.

####

20070106 The UN military force on parade

The UN military force on parade.

January 6^th, 2007

One of our latest Maryland Blogger Alliance members, “The Pubcrawler” has captured a picture of the UN military force on parade.

And another new member can be found here: “Rockin’ Catoctin”

Welcome to the mayhem.

Too funny. Thanks.

Maryland Blogger Alliance

Pillage Idiot (Rockville)
Soccer Dad (Baltimore)
Maryland Conservatarian (Baltimore)
The Baltimore Reporter (Baltimore)
The Sun Lies (Baltimore Area)
The Not So Free State (Woodlawn)
monoblogue (Salisbury)
Crablaw (Reisterstown)
Kevin Dayhoff (Westminster)
Politics, Hon (Baltimore)
blogger1947 (Gwynn Oak)
Jousting for Justice (Owings Mills)
The Voltage Gate (Frostburg)
Howard County Md. Blog (Ellicott City)
The Hedgehog Report (Columbia)
Rockin' Catoctin (Frederick)
The Pubcrawler (Gaithersburg)

Saturday, January 06, 2007

20070104 1870s Dead Horse inspires intrigue and curiosity

1870s Dead Horse inspires intrigue and curiosity

January 5, 2007

(AP Photo/Sheboygan County Historical Research Center) This photo provided by the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center shows a man sitting on a dead horse. The picture taken in Sheboygan sometime between 1876 and 1884 has sparked curiosity, speculation and jokes from people throughout the country, thanks to some newspaper publicity, the Internet and blogging. No one knows who the gentleman is, his occupation, or the exact circumstances surrounding it, said Beth Dipple, director of the Center. "It is a great picture and every time I see it I just laugh," she said. "But this time the novelty is everybody else is seeing it for the first time. The whole world is seeing it now."

The Examiner is carrying an Associated Press story about an historic photo, the subject of which is “a stovepipe-hatted man sitting on a dead horse in the middle of a dusty, deserted street.”

The photo was originally published as part of “a 2007 (newspaper) calendar with the scene. A response from readers prompted the newspaper to report about it. From there, it took off on the Internet and blogging.”

“After writing two stories about the picture, The Sheboygan Press has received more than 50 calls and e-mails about it…”

“No one knows who the gentleman is, exactly what year the picture was taken or the circumstances surrounding it, said Beth Dipple, director of the Sheboygan County Historical Research Center, which has had the picture in its collection for at least 20 years.”

“Dipple said about all that's known about the picture is it was taken (in Sheboygan, Wisconsin,) at South Eighth Street and Indiana Avenue between 1876 and 1884 - based on the bridge over the Sheboygan River in the background and the lack of railroad tracks that were installed in 1884.

“The city had laws on the books that required people to stay with their dead horses until they were picked up and disposed of, Dipple said.”

Of course, anyone who has read newspapers from the 1800s knows that folks had perhaps an even better sense of humor back then than folks do today.

Then again, in our contemporary age when everything is over-thought, over-analysed and overwrought, the explanation for the picture may be mundane or even documentary in purpose; who knows.

I love to tell the story about an art show I had in Baltimore in the mid-1980s, in which quite a number of my mixed media constructions incorporated a great deal of orange paint.

As I hung back relatively incognito during a portion of the show’s opening, a young lady had gathered a group of folks around her as she explained the deep psychological meaning of my use of orange paint.

It was complex – and it was intense. It was foreboding…

It was a load of crap. I used the orange paint because a friend of mine, who owned a hardware store, had several gallons of orange paint returned and he sold it to me a greatly reduced cost…

Whatever.

Sometimes “a stovepipe-hatted man sitting on a dead horse’ is just a man sitting on a dead horse.

But the picture is kinda neat - - after of course, an animal lover like me gets past the fate of the horse…

Oh, anyway, for more reading on this story go to:

1870s photo of man on dead horse sparks national humor or

1870s Dead Horse Photo Sparks Mystery

####

20070105 State Police Superintendent Stops Drunk Driver

Maryland State Police Superintendent Tim Hutchins Stops Drunk Driver

The Maryland State Police Superintendent, (Command Sergeant Major, 29th Infantry Division Aviation Brigade, Maryland Army National Guard, 1968-2004; a retired Maryland State Trooper; former Barrack Commander and graduate of the Maryland State Police Academy,) is certainly no stranger to rolling up his sleeves and getting it done himself:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 5, 2007

STATE POLICE SUPERINTENDENT STOPS DRUNK DRIVER AFTER CITIZEN REPORTS ERRATIC DRIVING

(Brandywine, MD) The Superintendent of the Maryland State Police stopped a suspected drunk driver Friday afternoon in Prince George’s County after a motorist made a #77 call to report erratic driving.

A concerned motorist saw the driver of a tan Ford Ranger weaving and dialed #77. The motorist was connected to the Forestville Barrack and the duty officer broadcast a lookout to all troopers in the area. Colonel Thomas E. “Tim” Hutchins, Secretary of the Maryland Department of State Police heard the original look-out, continued to monitor the updated locations and was able to locate the vehicle as it was driving on westbound Accokeek Road west of Maryland Route 5 in Brandywine, Maryland.

After observing the driver of the Ford Ranger commit a number of traffic violations, Colonel Hutchins conducted a traffic stop as other troopers converged on the area. Following the driver’s inability to perform a series of standardized field sobriety tests, he was arrested and transported to the Forestville Barrack for processing. The driver, identified as Jeremy Michael Plemons, 25, of Nanjemoy, was charged with Driving Under the Influence and other traffic citations.

Troopers encourage motorists to immediately contact law enforcement by dialing 9-1-1 or #77 when they observe dangerous driving behavior or suspect a motorist is driving impaired. Since impaired drivers are often involved in motor vehicle collisions, the call made to law enforcement could save a life. And when a call is made to the State Police for a trooper to respond, the responding trooper could very well be the Superintendent himself.

###

Friday, January 05, 2007

20070105 28 GOP Congressman say send trained Iraqi Units to Baghdad

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett 1 of 28 Republican Members Who Encourage President Bush to Send Trained Iraqi Army Units to Baghdad

Rep. Roscoe Bartlett was one of twenty-eight Republican Members of Congress sent the following letter to President Bush today, encouraging him to move "the 21 Iraqi battalions which are trained and equipped, and which are located in peaceful provinces, into the fight in Baghdad."

January 5, 2007

The Honorable George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. President:

On the eve of your decision regarding an adjusted policy on Iraq, please allow us to, as strongly as possible, make the case for moving the 21 Iraqi battalions which are trained and equipped, and which are located in peaceful provinces, into the fight in Baghdad.

Presently, eight of the 18 Iraq provinces experience less than one attack per day.

Their description follows:

Province - Attacks/day - (Iraqi Battalions)

Maysan <1>(3)

Dhi Qar <1>(3)

Muthanna <1>(3)

An-Najaf <1>(0)

Karbala <1>(3)

Sulamaniyah <1>(3)

Irbil <1>(6)

Dahuk <1>(0)

The key to establishing an adequate security apparatus in any new nation is developing operational capability in military forces. The way to develop mature Iraqi forces is to move all of them into the fight.

This logical move should be non-negotiable. The Iraq Ministry of Defense (MOD) can make this happen by simply issuing the order, as any defense ministry does, to the relevant Battalion or Brigade Commanders. If the direct order is disobeyed, the Iraqi officers who won't go should be replaced with ones who will obey.

Mr. President, this requirement of Iraq sending all its battalions into the fight should not be finessed or deflected by the MOD. It should be an absolute U.S. requirement, made as it is against the backdrop of the enormous U.S. effort which has brought the new Iraq government into existence.

Sincerely,

Duncan Hunter (R-CA); Todd Akin (R-MO); Rodney Alexander (R-LA); Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD); Charles Boustany (R-LA); Dan Burton (R-IN); Steve Buyer (R-IN); Geoff Davis (R-KY); Thelma Drake (R-VA); Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO); Terry Everett (R-AL); Randy Forbes (R-VA); Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE); Trent Franks (R-AZ); Phil Gingrey (R-GA); Sam Graves (R-MO); Wally Herger (R-CA); Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ); Michael McCaul (R-TX); Candice Miller (R-MI); Jim Ramstad (R-MN); Rick Renzi (R-AZ); Dana Rohrbacher (R-CA); Jim Saxton (R-NJ); Bill Shuster (R-PA); Joe Wilson (R-SC); Zack Wamp (R-TN); Bill Young (R-FL)

Cc: The Honorable Robert Gates

20070105 MySpace helps nab a couple more idiots

MySpace helps nab a couple more idiots

January 5^th, 2007

According to a Maryland State Police press release, MySpace has helped nap a couple more idiots.

Like moths to the flame, the social networking web site has turned out to be quite helpful in calling to our attention the totally idiotic behavior of some folks who feel their behavior is beyond consequences.

Unbelievable. Can anyone provide any insight as to what may have been through the minds of these folks, that would cause them to give drugs to a twelve-year old, much think that they could get away with it?

KENT COUNTY COUPLE ARRESTED AFTER MYSPACE ENTRY DISCOVERED

http://www.mdsp.org/Media/press_release_details.asp?identifier=372

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 5, 2007

Kent County Couple Arrested After MySpace Entry Discovered

(Galena, MD) - Maryland State Police from the Centreville Barrack have arrested a Galena couple in connection with child abuse charges and a drug investigation which surfaced after a juvenile family member’s “MySpace” forum entry was read.

The accused are identified as Richard Lesley Bland, 29, of the 32700-block of Galena Sassafras Road, Galena, Maryland, and Diana May Bland, 23, of the same address. They have been charged with two counts of child abuse and one count of contributing to delinquent conditions of a minor child.

The 12 year old victim had traveled to Maryland from Florida to visit her father, Richard Bland, and step-mother, Diana Bland, for the holidays. During her stay, the victim was allegedly given cocaine and marijuana on a number of occasions by both Richard and Diana Bland. After she returned to Florida, she wrote about the drug usage on “MySpace” and then told her mother about the incident.

Her mother contacted the Maryland State Police, who immediately initiated an investigation with the Kent County Department of Social Services and the Kent County Narcotics Task Force. After troopers interviewed the child and gathered more details of abuse during her ten day stay, investigators applied for a warrant. Early Friday morning, troopers from the Centreville Barrack and deputies from the Kent County Sheriff’s Office served a search and seizure warrant on the residence and took Robert and Diana Bland into custody.

The suspects were taken before a District Court commissioner for bond hearings. Richard Bland was held on a $10,000.00 bond and Diana Bland was held on a $3,000.00 bond. The other four minor children in the home at the time of the alleged drug activity have been taken into protective care by the Kent County Department of Child Protective Services.

The investigation is continuing. The victim’s identity will not be released due to the minor’s age.

####

20070103 Carroll County State of the county address next Thursday

Carroll County State of the county address next Thursday

January 4^th, 2006

The Carroll County commissioners will delivery their state of the county addresses next Thursday, January 11^th, 2007, 12 o’clock – noon, at Martin's Westminster, 505 Jermor Lane in Westminster.

The annual event is put on by the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce.

For a previous post on “Soundtrack” that includes some history of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, go here. Or go here.

This year’s event is sponsored by the Bank of Hanover and the cost is $25.00 per person.

To make a reservation, please call the Chamber office at 410-848-9050 or fax your reservation to 410-876-1023. Cancellations accepted 48 hrs. prior to event.

For more information from the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce – go here.

Meanwhile, Kelsey Volkmann, writing or the Baltimore Examiner, published a preview of this tear’s state of the county address:

Politics: State of county address to focus on water, faster Internet access

Kelsey Volkmann, The Examiner

20070104 Congressman Bartlett Introduces 14 Bills at Start of 110th Congress

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett Introduces 14 Bills at Start of 110th Congress, Recognizes Historic First Woman Speaker

January 4, 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the first day of the 110th Congress, Congressman Roscoe Bartlett said that, “

America

is the greatest country in the world and every first day of every new Congress we set a new world record.

We are blessed to have a federal government that is the world’s longest continuously operating constitutional republic.

2007 marks the 15th year that I will have the honor to serve more than 660,000 residents of the Sixth District of Maryland as their representative in the Congress.

I have introduced fourteen bills and I look forward to advancing them and three priority issues: ethical embryonic stem cell research, energy, and electro-magnetic pulse (EMP).

Marylanders should be very proud that Nancy Pelosi has become the first woman Speaker of the House of Representatives in our nation’s history.”

Energy

Peak Oil Resolution - Reintroduction of H. Res 507 that expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States, in collaboration with other international allies, should establish an energy project with the magnitude, creativity, and sense of urgency that was incorporated in the ‘‘Man on the Moon’’ project address the inevitable challenges of ‘‘Peak Oil’’.

Energy Farm Bill – Reintroduction of H. R. 5925 to support federal research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities to enable the development of farms that are net producers of both food and energy.

Expanded Tax Credit for Hybrid Vehicles – Introduced a new bill to increase

from 60,000 to 250,000 the annual limit on vehicles, such as hybrids, eligible for the alternative motor vehicle tax credit.

Stem Cell Research

Congressman Bartlett’s bill H.R. 5526, the Alternative Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act. Pluripotent stem cells are cells which can specialize into any bodily tissue, but cannot themselves develop into a human being. The Bartlett bill would accelerate federal research on pluripotent stem cells without harming human embryos. It was the most popular pluripotent stem cell bill -- supported by 100 Senators and 273 House members as well as the President during the 109th Congress. It did not become law because of parliamentary procedures. Under the Rules Package of the new Democratic leadership of the House, no debate and no vote will be permitted about any alternatives when the House votes next week on the reintroduction of H.R. 810, the Castle-DeGette stem cell bill.

Defense and Homeland Security

Improving National Capital Area Homeland Defense – Reintroduction of H.R. 44 to evaluate the definition of the National Capital Region used by the Department of Homeland Security to determine whether the definition should be modified to include additional jurisdictions in the States of Maryland and Virginia along Interstate Routes 270, 95, and 66.

Enhanced and Modernized GI Benefits - Reintroduction of H.R. 3625, the Bartlett Montgomery GI Bill, to encourage servicemembers to re-enlist, support military families and provide more realistic rates of educational costs for higher learning by permitting servicemembers to transfer unused GI education benefits to their spouses or children.

Immigration Reform

American Child Support Enforcement Immigration Act – Reintroduction of H.R. 5977 to deny family classification petitions for new spouses or dependents filed by an individual who owes child support.

Protecting the Health and Life of Pregnant Women and Children

Holly’s Law, the “RU-486 Suspension and Review Act Suspension of RU-486” – Reintroduction of H.R. 1079 to suspend FDA approval of the drug and send it back for review in light of its link to the deaths of five American women and serious injuries to more than 840. If a review finds that the FDA violated its own rules the suspension of RU-486 would be indefinite.

Tax Reform

Move Income Tax Filing Day - Reintroduction of H.R. 442 to move the deadline for filing federal income-tax returns, from April 15 to the first Monday in November —the day before Election Day to strengthen the link between the politicians we elect and the taxes we pay.

Campaign Reform

First Amendment Restoration Act – Reintroduction of H. R. 689, to restore Americans’ First Amendment rights by repealing a provision in the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 which prohibits labor unions and corporations (including non-profits) from sponsoring non-PAC-funded broadcast advertisements that include any references to federal candidates during the 30 and 60 days before primary and general elections.

Political Convention Reform Act – Reintroduction of H.R. 45 to prohibit the use of taxpayers’ money for political party conventions.

Second Amendment Rights

Citizens' Self-Defense Act – Reintroduction of H. R. 47 to protect the right of law-abiding citizens to obtain firearms for security, and to use firearms in defense of themselves, family, or their home, and to provide for the enforcement of that right.

Honoring America’s History and Heritage

Washington-Lincoln Recognition Act – Reintroduction of H.R. 43 to direct all federal agencies to refer to the federal holiday on the third Monday in February by its legal name, George Washington's Birthday. The bill also calls on the president to issue a proclamation each year recognizing the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln, whose birthday falls on February 12.

National Trails Discovery Act – Reintroduction of H.R. 690 - to authorize an additional category of national trail known as a national discovery trail, to provide special requirements for the establishment and administration of national discovery trails, and to designate the cross-country American Discovery Trail as the first national discovery trail.

Drug Abuse

Powder-Crack Cocaine Penalty Equalization Act – Reintroduction of H.R. 1501 to equalize the penalties for powder cocaine and crack cocaine offenses.

###

Thursday, January 04, 2007

20070102 UN Sec Ban to fill two UN posts this wk with controversy

UN Sec Ban to fill two UN posts this wk with controversy

January 2^nd, 2007 – January 4^th, 2007

Fox News is carrying an Associated Press article on its web site that indicates that when former United Nations secretary Kofi Annan left the building, we may have gone from the frying pan to the fire.

Add to our woes with the UN is the fact that we no longer have the calibre of individual in former UN ambassador John Bolton to look after our best interests…

New Secretary-General to Fill 2 U.N. Posts This Week, Could Bring Controversy

By Liza Porteus, Tuesday, January 02, 2007

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,240800,00.html

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

AP NEW YORK — New Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to announce his picks for two of the top posts vacant at the United Nations this week, a spokeswoman said Tuesday — and one of those choices could be controversial.

Ban, the former foreign minister of South Korea who started his new job Tuesday, will soon make public his choices for under secretary-general for administration and management and the head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The administration and management job traditionally has gone to an American, but this time, it could be different.

Press reports over the weekend indicated that Ban might choose Alicia Barcena of Mexico to head up the administration and management office, but that report has not been confirmed. Barcena is the former chief of staff of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who left that position late last year, making way for Ban.

The appointment of a non-American to the job would be a "disaster" for the U.S.-led effort to reform the U.N., according to one U.N. official.

Read the rest of the article here. Prepare to be annoyed.

For more reading go here: Bolton US Amb to the UN John, UN

####

20070104 Lake Superior St U Seeks to Banish Certain Words

Lake Superior St U Seeks to Banish Certain Words

January 4, 2007

Every year - - for quite a number of years, I have looked forward to this annual pronouncement of the latest in mangled words in the English language.

Oh, to be sure, I am a firm believer that English is very organic, but some its new permutations are simply malignant mutations.

This year I found the annual linguistic analysis in an Associated Press article on the Fox News web site.

In the following article, my “Dr. Pepper” moment was "the chewable vitamin morphine of marketing."

You’ll find it below in describing: “Take ‘ask your doctor,’ the mantra of pharmaceutical commercials. The university called it ‘the chewable vitamin morphine of marketing.’ ”

Portions of the article follows.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,240484,00.html

Bye-Bye 'Brangelina:' Lake Superior State University Seeks to Banish Certain Words

Monday, January 01, 2007 Associated Press

DETROIT — […]

Lake Superior State University on Sunday released its annual "List of Words and Phrases Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness."

The Sault Ste. Marie school in the Upper Peninsula has been compiling the list since 1976 to attract publicity. A total of 16 words or phrases were selected by a university committee from more than 4,500 nominations.

The list reads like a lexicon of popular culture.

Take "ask your doctor," the mantra of pharmaceutical commercials. The university called it "the chewable vitamin morphine of marketing."

Critics piled on the media's practice of combined celebrity names such as "TomKat" or "Brangelina." One said, "It's so annoying, idiotic and so lame and pathetic that it's 'lamethetic.'"

Real estate listings were targeted for overuse of "boast." As in "master bedroom boasts his-and-her fireplaces — never 'bathroom apologizes for cracked linoleum,'" quipped Morris Conklin of Portugal.

[…]

The university's word watchers had no use for "truthiness," the word popularized by Comedy Central satirist Stephen Colbert. It was selected as the word that best summed up 2006 in an online survey by dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster.

[…]

Read the entire article, as it appeared on the Fox News web site, here.

####

20070103 CNN and the awkwardly placed photo

CNN and the awkwardly (or strategically) placed photo

January 3^rd, 2007

I not sure if this is funny or not…

Underneath CNN’s headline, “Officials: Bush 'driving toward' new Iraq plan” is the picture, with the caption, “A roadside bomb hidden in garbage exploded Tuesday in eastern Baghdad and killed three people, police said.”

Okay, moving on now…

Whatever.

Hat Tip: Wonkette: “All Is Forgiven, CNN.com Editors”

####

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

20070103 Regarding the “Be the best you can be” post from Nov 27 2006

Regarding the “20061127 Be the best you can be.” post from Nov 27 2006

January 3^rd, 2006

The photographer, Lindy Rodman has been in touch…

Meanwhile, Ms. Rodman, pretty please consider putting the video for which you referred in your comment, on YouTube, so that I may post it on my web site?

Oh, the video – find it here: “VIDEO: George Dennehy , Nov 22 2006, 12:10 AM Meet George Dennehy, a 12-year old with no arms, but a huge talent for playing the cello.”

Bring it up in Microsoft Internet Explorer…

Anyway, getting to Ms. Rodman’s comment…

“Lindy Rodman has left a new comment on your post ‘20061127 Be the best you can be.’ ”:

“Thank you for the kind words regarding the George Dennehy photo and story done by Holly and I and published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. If you get a chance you might want to listen to the video I did in which you can hear George play his cello and say some amazingly thought provoking things. As its only my second attempt at a video its more home-movie than Hollywood but worth the look strictly for the content.”

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/HTMLPage/RTD_HTMLPage&c=HTMLPage&cid=1149191912331#top should take you to it....

The video is good stuff, Ms. Rodman is being modest…

Back to the beginning…

If you will recall the post from November 27^th, 2006:

Pictured above: George Dennehy, right, plays first-chair cello at Oak Knoll Middle School in Hanover County, Va.. George, born with bilateral upper-limb deficiency, has no limbs beyond his shoulder blades and has learned to do almost everything with his feet. (Lindy Keast Rodman, Associated Press)

For more pictures from the November 23rd, 2006 Richmond Times-Dispatch story, “Boy triumphs over limitation - Child born without arms is grateful for gift of music,” - - go here.

For more on the great work of Lindy Rodman, an award winning photographer, (Feature story photograph category from the 2003 VNPA Pictures of the Year…,) go here, - - here, here, and here .

[…]

I found this picture in “The Day in Pictures” section of the Baltimore Sun web site. I recognized the name of the photographer and went to the Richmond Times-Dispatch web site to try and find the picture on the web site…

I did not find the picture, but I found the article for which the picture may very well have accompanied. The article, “With feet and toes, young cellist makes beautiful music,” By HOLLY PRESTIDGE, Richmond Times-Dispatch; is worth a quick read. You can find it here.

####

20070103 Suitably Flip brings us Liberal Yearbook 2006

Suitably Flip brings us Liberal Yearbook 2006

January 3^rd, 2007

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwakjxmorvU

Watch it and prepare to be entertained.

Caution, for the true conservative, there are certainly some cringe worthy moments… if not downright unbearable. Turn up the volume and prepare to laugh.

Nevertheless, the video does disclose that “No Democrats were harmed in the making of this production.”

20070102 Happy New Year from Tom Beyard in Kuwait

Happy New Year from Tom Beyard in Kuwait

Command Sergeant Major Tom Beyard sends “Happy New Year” greetings from Kuwait.

January 2^nd, 2007

CSM Beyard wrote, in part, in a recent e-mail, “We had nice party and all enjoyed the time together. Except that our New Year's celebration was 8 hours ahead of yours. At 12:00 midnight here, it was only 4:00 in Westminster. The time difference when you want to make a call is hard to deal with sometimes.”

CSM Beyard mentions a visit from Milblogger Michael Yon. I follow Mr. Yon’s blog and in a previous post here on “Soundtrack,” I mention his post from Kuwait: “From a Starbucks, on a U.S. Military Base, in Kuwait.”

Image: http://www.michaelyon-online.com/media/images/daybyday/10-21-06.jpg

Location: http://www.michaelyon-online.com/images/daybydaysingles/DayByDay-Pod4.jpg

CSM Beyard wrote: “We had blogger come here just last week. His name was Michael Yon, who is a former soldier who was embedded with an Army unit. He now writes about the military and he was interesting. We had breakfast with him and then he visited our shops and talked with our guys.”

On Mr. Yon’s post he has a picture of “Christmas lunch in Kuwait.” Another picture is “Soldier after soldier lined up to stand beside Santa, maybe to send photos home to children and family to show all is well.”

Perhaps they are Christmas scenes for which CSM Beyard is familiar?

In Mr. Yon’s post he mentions, “Here in Kuwait, where the dining facilities are bedecked in Christmas decorations, soldiers stream in from Iraq on convoys and stream back north along those bomb-laden roads. The service members here are not all rear-echelon people who never see fighting or blood.

Happy New Year Tom – be safe and thank you for your service.

####

20070101 Carroll County Year in Review by Kelsey Volkmann

Year in review 2006: Carroll County by Kelsey Volkmann

http://www.examiner.com/a-484475~Year_in_review_2006__Carroll_County.html

(Chris Ammann/Baltimore Examiner)
Alfredo Gonzalez and his wife, Stacy, relax in the shade as they watch the Ravens during training camp at McDaniel College in Westminster in August. The Ravens train annually at the college.