20070922 We hear from a reader on President Ahmadinejad

We hear from a reader on President Ahmadinejad.

Aryeh Amihay has left a new comment on your post "20070921 Columbia won't cancel Ahmadinejad speech":

I think the issue is not so much his views, as is his ability to implement them.

In other words, he's not invited to Columbia because he wants to destroy Israel, but because he might have the power to do so.

Not any antisemite in the US, interested in the destruction of Israel would receive the same invitation from CU. Therefore, it's not a matter of which views are being represented, but which views are actually shaping our world, affecting Mideast politics and US foreign policy.

More on this on my blog:

http://mostlyonisrael.blogspot.com/2007/09/some-comments-on-iran-ahmedinejad-and.html

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Thanks for your comment Mr. Amihay.

Thanks for calling to my attention your blog. I took a quick tour of your web site and I’ll be placing a link on my blog to your site the next chance I get. I’ll look forward to checking-in as frequent as possible.

As a journalist, if I had a chance to attend the presentation of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - I would. For me, his right to free speech in our country is not the issue.

It is wonderful that he have the forum to prove, once he opens his mouth, that his positions are not in-line with a just and peaceful world.

Free speech is rather important to me as it should be to all Americans and as much as I am concerned, to say the least, about what it is that the Iranian president has to say – or the power to do; my problem is more with Columbia University’s persistent inconsistencies.

The esteemed institution piously, self-righteously, if not - condescendingly proclaims to be the standard-bearer for a “long-standing tradition of serving as a major forum for robust debate.”

Yet anecdotally, that is not its track record. The wonders of information dissemination by way of the internet allow us to be aware that the esteemed university does not extend meaningful invitations to those for whom, the university appears to collectively - not agree.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Columbia University were to extend an invitation to all Americans of varying political ideologies the courtesy that it so easily extend to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

With all due respect sir, for me the wheels come off the cart in your commentary when you misuse Spragens Political Theorem in your fourth paragraph; by utilizing conclusions in your equation that are certainly not agreed upon as facts.

Please read: “19981216 President Clinton explains Iraq strike.”

It was disconcerting how quickly your otherwise intelligent commentary was compromised when it drifted from President Ahmadinejad to diatribes about President George W. Bush.

First things first.

There is no firm foundation for a scholar to simplistically buy-in to the notion that because attempts at nuclearization in the Middle East are occurring on President George W. Bush’s watch; it is because this president “has managed to secure” it. The slow and steady desire of Middle Eastern nations to acquire nuclear capability began long before President Bush’s term in office. (“…The attack of the Iraqi Nuclear Reactor in 1981…”)

Suggesting that the war in Iraq, promulgated in an attempt, in part, to stop the de-stabilization (and nuclearization of the region,) has, in affect, caused a phenomenon which had already begun antecedent to the U. S. intervention in Iraq is logically suspect, if not simplistic and presents itself as agenda driven.

(As an aside, I can criticize the conduct of the war with the best. Please see "The Crocodile Dundee Factor." Or “Iraq: Into the Heart of Darkness.”)

But that does not mean that I am opposed to challenging the global forces of terrorism with force. Or that I don’t yearn for peace. No more than you when you wrote on September 1, 2007, that you “will criticize Israel more often and in more detail than other parties of the conflict. This does not mean that I think Israel is more to blame in the conflict than anyone else. As an Israeli, I have a better understanding of Israeli politics than of politics of any other country.”

Like you, my ideal, in spite of how often I come-up short, is “Above all, this blog is concerned with the truth, not in taking sides.”

However with that in mind, what was particularly disconcerting for me is to read is that a PhD student in the Dept of Religion at Princeton University is presenting a scholarly commentary that includes the phraseology, “contrary to the pubic image of a complete idiot, George W. Bush…”

Of no doubt, any well-read person has seen President Bush characterized as such. Nevertheless, that is usually where I stop reading. I am unaware of any definitive research that allows me to know what “the public image” is with the exception of that tired canard being trotted out in the lexicon of folks who wish to monopolize the dominant narrative by repeating such a baseless conclusion ad nauseum until the less informed accept it as a “fact."

Fundamentally, your argumentation that a “connection between the war in Iraq and the rise of oil prices has been noticed by many,” is equally suspect. No doubt, the price of oil has been affected by the hostilities in the region.

However there is a preponderance of information that an historic (see 1973 oil crisis and 1979 energy crisis) destabilization in the price of oil would have persisted in the face of the unchecked continued radicalization of Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq.

Ultimately, any continued United States foreign policy based on our continued dependence on foreign oil is a ticket to failure.

Finally - blaming the phenomena of the erratic fluctuations in the price of oil; the Middle East’s appetite for nuclear proliferation; the continued inability of the šī at Alī (Shias) and ahl al-sunnah wa-l-jamaa (Sunnis) to get along; and the rise of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad presents as a manifestation of “Bush Derangement Syndrome” at worst (as defined by Dr, Charles Krauthammer – or click here.)

Or in the least, it smacks of the “… problem … (in) that it once more captures the over-simplistic dichotomy in which many people conceptualize politics, namely the "bad guys" vs. "good guys" view,” (a college freshman’s Hagel’s Dialectic Progression) for which you decry.

Generalizations that all the ills of a dangerous world lay at the feet of President Bush are abusive and contribute to a dangerous polarization for the purpose of bankrupt political expediency such as what characterized the dysfunctionate appeasement in the 1930s that preceded the military defeat of France in 1940 and a world in grave peril.

Meanwhile, thanks again for the feedback. As always, your thoughtful consideration is appreciated regardless of the outcome on any particular issue. Whether we agree or disagree, always find my door open for friendly civil and constructive dialogue. I’ll be up at Princeton in several times this fall. Lunch is on me – isn’t there an Indian restaurant near the intersection of Chestnut and Nassau Streets?

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20070919 President Bollinger’s Statement on President Ahmadinejad

Columbia University’s President Bollinger's Statement About President Ahmadinejad's Scheduled Appearance

Hat Tip and thanks to “Mostly on Israel”

Published: Sept. 19, 2007

On Monday, September 24, the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is scheduled to appear as a speaker on campus. The event is sponsored by the School of International and Public Affairs (see SIPA announcement), which has been in contact with the Iranian Mission to the United Nations. The event will be part of the annual World Leaders Forum, the University-wide initiative intended to further Columbia’s longstanding tradition of serving as a major forum for robust debate, especially on global issues.

In order to have such a University-wide forum, we have insisted that a number of conditions be met, first and foremost that President Ahmadinejad agree to divide his time evenly between delivering remarks and responding to audience questions. I also wanted to be sure the Iranians understood that I would myself introduce the event with a series of sharp challenges to the president on issues including:

the Iranian president’s denial of the Holocaust;

his public call for the destruction of the State of Israel;

his reported support for international terrorism that targets innocent civilians and American troops;

Iran's pursuit of nuclear ambitions in opposition to international sanction;

his government's widely documented suppression of civil society and particularly of women's rights; and

his government's imprisoning of journalists and scholars, including one of Columbia’s own alumni, Dr. Kian Tajbakhsh (see President Bollinger's prior statement).

I would like to add a few comments on the principles that underlie this event. Columbia, as a community dedicated to learning and scholarship, is committed to confronting ideas—to understand the world as it is and as it might be. To fulfill this mission we must respect and defend the rights of our schools, our deans and our faculty to create programming for academic purposes. Necessarily, on occasion this will bring us into contact with beliefs many, most or even all of us will find offensive and even odious. We trust our community, including our students, to be fully capable of dealing with these occasions, through the powers of dialogue and reason.

I would also like to invoke a major theme in the development of freedom of speech as a central value in our society. It should never be thought that merely to listen to ideas we deplore in any way implies our endorsement of those ideas, or the weakness of our resolve to resist those ideas or our naiveté about the very real dangers inherent in such ideas. It is a critical premise of freedom of speech that we do not honor the dishonorable when we open the public forum to their voices. To hold otherwise would make vigorous debate impossible.

That such a forum could not take place on a university campus in Iran today sharpens the point of what we do here. To commit oneself to a life—and a civil society—prepared to examine critically all ideas arises from a deep faith in the myriad benefits of a long-term process of meeting bad beliefs with better beliefs and hateful words with wiser words. That faith in freedom has always been and remains today our nation’s most potent weapon against repressive regimes everywhere in the world. This is America at its best.

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20070923 Did I read that sign right?

Did I read that sign right?

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Hat Tip: Grammy

TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW

In a Laundromat: AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT

In a London department store: BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS

In an office: WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN

In an office: AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD

Outside a secondhand shop: WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC. WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?

Notice in health food shop window: CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS

Spotted in a safari park: (I sure hope so)

ELEPHANTS PLEASE STAY IN YOUR CAR

Seen during a conference: FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN'T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE 1ST FLOOR

Notice in a farmer's field: THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES.

Message on a leaflet: IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS

On a repair shop door: WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING. (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR - THE BELL DOESN'T WORK)

20070921 Request for variance from the Forest Conservation Code for the Carroll County Regional Airport

Request for variance from the Forest Conservation Code for the Carroll County Regional Airport

Department Planning

Bureau of Resource Management

REQUEST FOR VARIANCE FROM THE CARROLL COUNTY FOREST

CONSERVATION CODE, CHAPTER 115

September 21, 2007

Issue: FOREST CONSERVATION, CHAPTER 115, VARIANCE REQUEST FOR TIMBER HARVEST IN AREA SET ASIDE FOR PROTECTION VIA FOREST CONSERVATION PLAN FOR CARROLL COUNTY AIRPORT PAPI LIGHTS

FILE NO.: E-96-0002

VARIANCE NO: V-FC-07-001

Background: A variance has been requested for a timber harvest of 6 acres of forest. Of the six acres, 3.75 acres have been previously approved via a Forest Conservation Plan designated as a woodland protection area.

Of the 3.75 acres, 1.91 acres are to be clear cut.

Based on Section 3.3.3 (2) (Page 3-39) of the Carroll County Forest Conservation Technical Manual, A Forest Stewardship Management Plan was prepared by the County Forester and submitted to the State Forestry Board.

The Board approved the Management Plan for the incorporation of applicable best management practices, but since said section of the technical manual requires a post harvest basal area of 70 square feet when timbering in areas set aside for forest conservation easement, the Board did not approve the timber harvest plan.

The proposed clear cut would result in a post harvest basal area of 25 square feet.

Based on regulations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAR 77 and the Precision Approach Path Indicator Obstruction Clearance Surfaces) those areas scheduled for clear cut are areas identified as a hazard to aviation by penetrating into the Obstruction Clearance Surfaces and must be removed for safety of those using the airport.

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION.

Discussion: The desired action is a requirement of the Federal Aviation Administration for safety of those using the airport and applies to all airports with similar precision approach equipment. In addition, the State Forestry Board has indicated that the Forest Stewardship Management Plan prepared by the County Forester incorporates all applicable BMP’s, as stated in the Custom Erosion and Sediment Control Plan for Forest Harvest Operations.

Recommendation: The request for relief from the Carroll County Forest Conservation Code, Chapter 115 and the Forest Conservation Manual should be granted based on:

(1). 115-14. (1): Strict adherence to the provision of this chapter would result in unnecessary hardship for the County. By granting the variance request the County can remove the designated obstructions and operate the airport per FAA requirements thus creating a non-hazardous condition for precision approaches.

(2). 115.14. (2): The 1.91 acre clear cut will comply with the requirement of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAR 77) and the Precision Approach Path Indicator Obstruction Clearance Surfaces). FAA Object clearing criteria were developed to provide for safe and efficient approach operations at an airport by requiring that certain areas on or near the airport be clear of objects.

20070918 The Virginia Pilot: Timeline of significant events for Blackwater

Timeline of significant events for Blackwater

The Virginian-Pilot

© September 18, 2007

A BLACKWATER TIMELINE

For a review of the “Significant events in the history of Moyock, N.C.-based Blackwater USA”: Timeline of significant events for Blackwater

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20070922 Gizmos Art

Gizmos Art:

1 New Windsor Rd

Westminster, MD

http://gizmosart.com/gizmosdirect.html

You must make an appointment

Call: 410-876-7939

Or contact us at: framing AT GizmosArt DOT com

Art of Kevin Dayhoff at Lyndi McNulty’s Gizmos

20070916 Sister Souljah moments by Joan Vennochi

Sister Souljah moments By Joan Vennochi, Globe Columnist | September 16, 2007

Posted here on Soundtrack, September 22, 2007 because earlier yesterday, I saw a news clip of presidential candidate New York Senator Hillary Clinton, once again, refuse to denounce the New York subsidized MoveOn.org “Petraeus Ad,” in a barrage of double-speak…

Sister Souljah moments: BILL CLINTON invented the Sister Souljah moment. Is having one still a political requirement or more a political cliche?

Back in 1992, Clinton made headlines when he chastised rap artist and community activist Sister Souljah for saying, "If black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people?" His rebuke came in an appearance before Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition: "If you took the words, 'white' and 'black' and you reversed them, you might think David Duke was giving that speech," the then-presidential candidate said.

This so-called "Sister Souljah moment" - a calculated denunciation of an extremist position or special interest group - wrapped Clinton in a warm centrist glow just in time for the general election.

Now, Republicans are pushing Democrats, especially Hillary Clinton, to repudiate the "General Petraeus or General Betray Us?" ad unveiled by MoveOn.org, which represents the antiwar left.

In a scathing statement about Clinton's failure to reject the ad, Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona said, "If you're not tough enough to repudiate a scurrilous, outrageous attack such as that, then I don't know how you're tough enough to be president of the United States."

[…]

Read the rest here: Sister Souljah moments

Hillary's Sister Souljah Moment?

Seems presidential candidate New York Senator Hillary Clinton keeps having these “Sister Souljah Moments” or rather the lack of them.

Then again, an opportunistic Senator Clinton will say anything and stand for nothing except whatever it takes to win the presidency. No values, no morals, no ethics except to crassly promote an overbearing and burdensome big government agenda in which our quality of life and safety will be at risk.

Hillary's Sister Souljah Moment?

This video was loaded on to YouTube 4 months ago and yet in light of her steadfast refusal to denounce MoveOn.org’s ad which slimed General Petraeus...

After criticizing Don Imus, Senator Clinton recently accepted donations raised with the help of rapper Timbaland, whose lyrics contain the same language that Imus used. If Senator Clinton is serious about condemning Imus' remarks, she should return the money from those like Timbaland and Hugh Hefner whose views of women are no less sexist and small-minded.

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20070921 Columbia won't cancel Ahmadinejad speech

Columbia won't cancel Ahmadinejad speech

Friday, September 21st, 2007

Perhaps this is a “whatever?” As much as the things that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has to say are anathematic and loathsome, having him speak is quickly reduced to a freedom of speech issue.

However, the context gets muddy when one takes into consideration that Columbia University has developed a reputation for not being tolerant of conservatives making presentations.

Columbia President Lee Bollinger, was quoted in the article to say, “in announcing Ahmadinejad's upcoming appearance, described the event as part of ‘Columbia's long-standing tradition of serving as a major forum for robust debate.’”

Word on the street indicates that such has historically not been Columbia’s tradition. Rather – it has a tradition of being an inadequate forum for discussion and dialogue as security for conservatives who speak there is so lax that folks avoid the forum.

Columbia’s stated policy is one thing; however, it has proven, de facto, to not be a tolerant or meaningful venue for folks for whom the university appears to be unsympathetic.

In this context, Columbia places itself in an awkward position of being off limits for conservative presenters, yet always willing to go that extra mile for lefty presenters – or in this case, someone who has alleged to be complicit in the deaths of American men and women in uniform.

This of course, lays Columbia open to criticism that it may very well be sympathetic to President Ahmadinejad’s message. And there lies the rub.

Columbia won't cancel Ahmadinejad speech: Columbia University said it does not plan to call off a speech by Iran's president despite pressure from critics including the City Council speaker, who said the Ivy League school was providing a forum for "hate-mongering vitriol."

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is traveling to New York to address the United Nations' General Assembly. He was scheduled to appear Monday at a question-and-answer session with Columbia faculty and students as part of the school's World Leaders Forum.

The State Department calls Iran a state sponsor of terror, and Ahmadinejad has called the Holocaust "a myth" and urged for Israel to be destroyed.

[…]

White House deputy press secretary Tony Fratto said Friday that Columbia made the decision on inviting Ahmadinejad, "and I don't believe we had any play in it."

"This is a country where people can come and speak their minds," he said, adding, "It would be wonderful if some of the countries that take advantage of that here allowed it for their own citizens there."

[…]

Read the rest of the article here: Columbia won't cancel Ahmadinejad speech

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Columbia University were to extend an invitation to all Americans of varying political ideologies the courtesy that it so easily extend to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

___

On the Net:

Columbia: http://www.columbia.edu/

City Council: http://www.nyccouncil.info/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070921/ap_on_re_us/ahmadinejad_columbia

20070921 Best Movie Line Ever – and the winner is

20070921 Best Movie Line Ever – and the winner is

September 21, 2007 - Andrew Sullivan over on “The Daily Dish” has been having a contest to find “The Best Movie Line Ever.”

For me, it all began with my November 4^th, 2006 post, “20061104 Greatest movie line ever”…

Apparently as the YouTube featuring an hilarious give-and-take commentary on Democrats in which Bob Hope participates and delivers the “zinger,” made its rounds on the internet and found a spot on Mr. Sullivan’s blog and that, in turn sparked an initiative to find the “Best Movie Line Ever.”

On September 21, 2007 the results were announced.

And the winner is: “Marlon Brando's Famous "On the Waterfront" Speech.”

This is the iconic scene from Elia Kazan's "On the Waterfront" in which Terry (Marlon Brando) delivers his brother Charlie a heartfelt scolding. "I coulda had class... I coulda been a contender, instead of a bum, which is what I am - let's face it."

This is often listed as perhaps the greatest scene of acting in a motion picture, and gained more popularity after Martin Scorsese's "Raging Bull," which featured Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro) reciting the scene word-for-word in his dressing room.

Additionally, the blog notes:

Second place: Casablanca. Third: Cool Hand Luke. In the end, you agreed with Pauline Kael. Her celebration of Brando's genius can be found in an essay she wrote for the Atlantic in 1966.

Go here – “Best Movie Line Ever” and read the rest of the post.

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20070920 News Clips

News Clips

September 20, 2007

STATE NEWS

A hero’s welcome

Local group goes to BWI, thanks troops for service

http://www.capitalonline.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/09_19-04/TOP

It started with a simple e-mail among friends - head to the airport to welcome a group of soldiers returning home, and thank them for their service in the Middle East.

But, as some e-mails are, it was passed along to a friend of a friend hundreds of times. That idea bred Anne Arundel County-based Operation Welcome Home Maryland, a group of more than 300 people who stand in the international arrivals terminal at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport to greet military personnel.

John Flynn of Annapolis was introduced to the group through the first string of e-mails.

“You go once and you just get this great adrenaline rush,” Mr. Flynn said. “Being there and being part of the excitement and seeing their reactions - they are never expecting to see us there. For a lot of them, (Baltimore) is not their final destination. We want to make sure when they step foot on U.S. soil that we’re there welcoming them.”

O'Malley details cut in income tax

Governor says 95% in Md. would pay less

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.taxes20sep20,0,216227.story

Seeking to make the first changes in 40 years to Maryland's income tax structure, Gov. Martin O'Malley unveiled a plan yesterday that he said would lead to an income tax reduction for most people but would cost top earners thousands more a year. The proposal is the first that O'Malley has discussed in detail from his plan to close a projected $1.7 billion budget gap next fiscal year and add hundreds of millions in new spending. He called it a measure that would cut taxes for 95 percent of Marylanders, but he has not released enough specifics to calculate the total impact of his proposals -- which include increases to the sa les tax and other levies.

Critics said O'Malley's overall tax plan will look a lot worse when all the details come out.

"What the governor is not emphasizing is that the combination of the other tax increases he is proposing, including dramatic increases in the sales tax and the corporate tax ... collectively will swamp whatever benefit the average Marylander gets from that small cut in the income tax rate," said Del. Steve Schuh, an Anne Arundel Republican.

Del. Anthony J. O'Donnell, the minority leader from Southern Maryland, said that if O'Malley cared about taxpayers, he would rein in spending, not increase the top income tax rate. "This to me is a march on the working families of Maryland," O'Donnell said. "This governor is bludgeoning Maryland families with his tax baton."

O'Malley to raise taxes on top earners

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070920/METRO/109200045/1004

Gov. Martin O'Malley made public yesterday his plans to raise taxes on Maryland's top wage earners to help cut the state's $1.5 billion budget shortfall. Mr. O'Malley, a Democrat, expects that the increase - along with legalizing slot machines and increasing taxes on sales, gasoline, cigarettes and corporate income - will generate roughly $2 billion.

"On some things there will be tax relief, and on some things we will have to pay more," Mr. O'Malley said. "At the end of the day, what you will see is that collectively a majority of us will be treated more fairly."

"The governor is trying on another suit, and today it is Mr. Populist - Progressive," said Senate Minority Leader David R. Brinkley, Frederick Republican.

Special session coming in Nov. will cost the taxpayers up to $34K per day to solve deficit

http://www.capitalonline.com/cgi-bin/read/2007/09_19-06/GOV

When the General Assembly is called back to Annapolis for a special session to solve the state's fiscal crisis, it will cost taxpayers between $23,000 and $34,000 per day.

"The governor feels there is a need for immediate action rather than waiting until January," Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., said yesterday, referring to the General Assembly's regular session. "In my opinion (a special session) is definitely going to happen."

The public, however, already is making its voice heard by contacting legislators, said Del. Steve Schuh, R-Gibson Island.

"Marylanders are attuned to what is going on," he said. "I sense a tremendous amount of upset."

The value of having a special session before January is threefold, said Mr. Schuh, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. Businesses and residents will have more time to plan for changing taxes; legislation not dealing with the deficit could pass during the normal 90-day session, and the special session gives the General Assembly an extended opportunity to iron out disagreements.

"It would be very risky to just sit on our hands," he said. "Far better to have an impasse emerge during a special session where there is time to work everything out."

Surge of illegal immigrants causes changes for Frederick

http://www.gazette.net/stories/092007/frednew71246_32365.shtml

The Hispanic population in Frederick County has more than doubled since 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, leading to what one county official believes is an increase in illegal immigration.

''There is no way to know the number of illegal immigrants, but the illegal population is coming here, mostly from Northern Virginia," said Frederick County Sheriff Chuck Jenkins (R). ''...We're going to shoot them right back."

Frederick County State's Attorney Charlie Smith (R) said this week he has made it a priority to hire staff who speak Spanish to handle the significant increase in court cases involving illegal immigrants.

Jenkins also announced this week that he plans to meet with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday to learn whether his office can begin deporting illegal immigrants.

Md. Senate President Won't Back Gay Unions

Advocates Vow to Fight For Marriage Equality

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conten t/article/2007/09/19/AR2007091902397.html

Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. said yesterday that he would not support legislation to legalize same-sex marriage or civil unions in Maryland, signaling that supporters of gay marriage will face resistance as they take their campaign from the courts to the General Assembly.

"People can introduce any bill they'd like," Miller (D-Calvert) said. "But at this juncture, I don't believe the votes are there to change the law. . . . The burden will be on the people who feel it's needed to explain the need for a change."

Maryland Democrats control the General Assembly and governor's office, but their views on same-sex unions are varied and nuanced. Many would prefer to consider granting legal rights and benefits to gay couples rather than debate whether the state should sanction their unions. Some say privately they would rather avoid putting the issue to a vote.

EEOC accuses county of age discrimination

Suit claims older workers pay more for pensions

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_county/bal-md.co.pension20sep20,0,7663500.story

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has filed a lawsuit against the Baltimore County government, accusing it of age discrimination in requiring older employees to pay more for their pensions.

The lawsuit, filed this week in U.S. District Court, says the county has for years illegally forced some workers older than 40 to contribute to the county's pension system at a higher rate than that required of younger workers.

Gases from dump could be fed's new fuel source

http: //www.examiner.com/a-945078~Gases_from_dump_could_be_fed_s_new_fuel_source.html

Greenhouse gases from a Baltimore City dump could be one of the largest alternative fuel sources for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The U.S. Coast Guard Yard on Curtis Bay wants to build a mile-long pipe to take methane from the Quarantine Road Landfill to feed four electricity generators.

"This project alone will account for the Department of Homeland Security's goals for using alternative fuels until 2012," said Cmdr. John Slaughter, the yard's facility engineer.

Landfill methane power is expensive because the energy output is half that of natural gas, industry experts say.

But it is gaining popularity as the process removes a harmful greenhouse gas and generates revenue for landfills.

State opts against bypasses

http://www.examiner.com /a-945088~State_opts_against_bypasses.html

Instead of building two bypasses that Carroll lawmakers called critical to reducing traffic congestion, the state announced Wednesday plans to upgrade existing county roads.

The bypasses need to be the "No. 1 priority," said Sen. Larry Haines, adding, "I just think it's the wrong plan with what we're doing with Route 140."

"If it's off the table, it'll be permanently off the table because there'll be no land left to purchase," said Del. Tanya Shewell, R-District 5A. "We're not doing the right thing."

Keyes to join GOP debate at Morgan

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/politics/bal-te.keyes20sep20,0,1202966.story

Next week's Republican presidential debate in Baltimore, which has been shunned by the party's leading contenders, is getting an added starter: Alan L. Keyes.

The conservative activist, a former U.S. Senate candidate in Maryland and Illinois who said last week that he is running for president again, is "definitely participating," said a campaign spokeswoman, Carla Michele. A spokesman for Smiley said last night that debate organizers "don't have an announcement at this time" regarding Keyes' participation but indicated he would be welcome at the Sept. 27 forum.

EDITORIALS/OPEDS

Instead of squeezing Md. taxpayers, cut spending growth

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.taxes20sep20,0,6665363.story

Over my 17 years in the Maryland legislature, I've observed four different governors experience budget challenges. William Donald Schaefer, Parris N. Glendening and Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. acted immediately when a budget problem loomed.

Unfortunately, our current governor, Martin O'Malley, chose not to act during this year's General Assembly session, and simply balanced the state's budget on the $1 billion surplus left by the Ehrlich administration.

A year of delay and indecisive leadership has greatly increased the deficit and the pressure for new taxes.

During this year's session, I offered an amendment that would have balanced next year's state budget without any tax increases. It did not "cut" any appropriation from the previous year but simply restrained growth.

Though several Democratic leaders in the Senate privately informed me they liked the amendment, none voted for it. The education, environmental and labor lobbies were powerful enough to alter their better judgment. The public should know that the projected budget shortfall they've heard so much about will occur only if the budget grows by an unreasonable amount.

J. Lowell Stoltzfus represents Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties and is a former Republican leader of the Maryland Senate.

The $2 billion plan

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bal-ed.budget20sep20,0,847729.story

While many of the specifics of Martin O'Malley's ambitious budget proposal have not yet been revealed, its full purpose is now apparent: The governor aims not only to resolve the state's structural deficit but also to make Maryland's tax system a bit fairer than it is today. He will no doubt catch much heat for daring to recommend tax increases (and even his supporters ought not pass final judgment until the plan is fully vetted), but it's clear the governor is fundamentally on the right track.

Make no mistake: Balancing a budget is seldom painless. There are significant elements in the O'Malley proposal that are troubling, not the least of which involves slot machines.

Funding to sustain spending

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2007/09/20/news/opinion/editorial/editorial879.txt

Utilizing temporary revenue streams to fund ongoing expenses is a mistake that governments make often, and Gov. Martin O'Malley appears determined to continue the trend. Continual government expansion of spending without established revenue streams to fund the expansion is a major reason why taxes keep going up. Somewhere along the line our elected representatives need to start thinking more long-term, and base their proposals on solid plans that go beyond the next election cycle.

Failing that, government will continue to expand, and our taxes will continue to increase in order to pay for bloated government.

NATIONAL NEWS

Akonni scores $450,000 for DNA, forensic work

Incubator company lands Justice Department grant

http://www.gazette.net/stories/092007/busiflo70037_32362.shtml

Akonni Biosystems Inc., a Frederick incubator company ready to fly the coop, has snagged a $450,000 grant from the federal government to help forensic investigators with faster and cheaper DNA test results. Akonni scientists, now at the Frederick Innovative Technology Center Inc. incubator at Hood College, are advancing the company's diagnostic technology called ''microarray" to help doctors diagnose diseases more cheaply, quickly and thoroughly.

''This is an important grant because Akonni Biosystems' advances will help improve DNA analyses of samples from crime scenes," Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-Dist. 6) of Buckeystown said in a statement. ''DNA analysis is vitally important to improve law enforcement and our criminal justice system."

Sen. Cardin details grants to Bowie State students

http://www.bowieblade.com/vault/cgi-bin/bowie/view/2007B/09/20-06.HTMhttp://www.bowieblade.com/vault/cgi-bin/bowie/view/2007B/09/20-06.HTM

"Nothing is more important than improving access to quality education," Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., recently told Bowie State University students and faculty.

"I'm very concerned with where we're heading as a nation regarding the cost of education and making it more affordable." Cardin held a roundtable discussion with students and faculty about the recent Senate passage of legislation for an increase student aid, the biggest of its kind in 63 years.

"It would provide more opportunities for students to be eligible for grants and make it easier for families to afford a college education," Cardin said.

Additionally, the bill would offer loan forgiveness to public services employees and reduce monthly loan payments. The financial aid package also promises to reduce borrowers' interest rates, cutting student loan interest rates in half from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent for undergraduate students with subsidized loans.
Cardin was optimistic that President Bush would sign the bill soon, potentially within the next two weeks. He told the students in attendance that the best way to assist in passing this bill would be "follow what's going on in Washington."

HarVest Bank of Maryland Welcomes Michael Steele to Board

http://digital50.com/news/items/PR/2007/09/19/NEW124/harvest-bank-of-maryland-welcomes-michael-steele-to-board.html

HarVest Bank of Maryland, a locally owned full service commercial bank, today announced the appointment of Michael S. Steele to its Board of Directors. Mr. Steele is the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, and is currently Chairman of GOPAC, a national fundraising vehicle of the Republican Party, as well as a partner of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae LLP, a Washington DC law firm.

"We are honored and fortunate to have Michael join our team at HarVest Bank of Maryland," said Jack Hollerbach, President and CEO."

As Lieutenant Governor, he helped us to celebrate our grand opening in late 2004 along with former County Executive Doug Duncan and Congressman Chris Van Hollen, and he has remained a good friend through our early years of success.

As we begin to accelerate our business growth, we anticipate that Michael's extensive contacts and knowledge of the government sector will be very valuable. As a prominent Maryland native, Michael Steele is committed to the Bank's mission of "Bringing Maryland Banking Back Home"(TM).

New prostate cancer care legislation to fund lifesaving imaging research

http://www.medicexchange.com/mall/departmentpage.cfm/MedicExchangeUSA/_81694/2624/departments-contentview

In response to the rising epidemic of prostate cancer in America and the lack of accurate diagnostic tools that cost lives and the nation's health care system billions annually, US Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Albert Wynn (D-MD) announced they will co-sponsor legislation that would fund the development of technological advances in the fight against a disease that kills one man every 18 minutes.

"The funding of imaging research that will lead to more accurate detection and diagnoses of prostate cancer could eventually save tens of thousands of lives a year," said Rep. Cummings.

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20070917 The Return of the Snowman

20070917 The Return of the Snowman

September 17, 2007

Billiam the snowman (and his son) cracks me up. See also: 20070730 Answering questions from a Snowman

Billiam the Snowman responds to Mitt Romney

Hello Mitt Romney!

In response to the CNN/YouTube debate, Mitt Romney was quoted as saying, "I think the presidency ought to be held at a higher level than having to answer questions from a snowman."

Well, the snowman has responded.

_____

The Return of the Snowman By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

Monday, Sept. 17, was supposed to be the day of the Republican YouTube debate. Some of the candidates got nervous, you might recall, and begged off. Then they were shamed into reconsidering. Now they are on again and scheduled to face video questions from the public on Nov. 28.

A scan of the videos submitted so far to YouTube shows they have little to fear. It also shows that fresh submissions have slowed to a trickle. That’s probably because the debate is more than two months away. Still, with the proliferation of video and of debates in this campaign, you have to wonder if the novelty of a YouTube debate isn’t wearing off. Which may be just the way the Republicans want it.

[…]

A man who teaches English in China addresses the candidates from his classroom and asks how they can ensure that American students will be able to compete with his Chinese students in 15 or 20 years.

Another man speaks from an airplane seat and wants to know how the candidates will reduce the hassles of commercial flying.

Yes, some take the Republicans to task for having spurned the debate the first time around. And there are several pointed questions for Rudolph W. Giuliani, like this one about police brutality.

[…]

Here a woman in Dallas says she can’t get a job without learning a second language to deal with the large immigrant population. And yet, she says, immigrants don’t have to learn English. “That’s so unfair,” she says. “What would you do about the illegal immigrants which are entering into the city and not knowing the language?"

And here a retired brigadier general who is openly gay, says: “I want to know why you think that American men and women in uniform are not professional enough to serve with gays and lesbians?”

[…]

The snowman who asked the Democrats about global warming is back. This time he addresses Mitt Romney, who initially said he wasn’t coming to the debate because animated creatures like the snowman had been allowed to ask questions and he thought it degrading.

[…]

Read the entire article here: The Return of the Snowman By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

On Foreign Policy: Who Wins the War (Politically)? (September 15, 2007)

On the Trail: Buying the Bully Pulpit (September 14, 2007)

On the Record: 14 Months Out, Advantage: Senate Democrats (September 12, 2007)

On The Campaign: There’s Something About Iowa and New Hampshire (September 10, 2007)

On the Economy: Bernanke, the Fed and 2008 (September 9, 2007)

On the Hill: House G.O.P.'s History Could Repeat in Senate (September 7, 2007)

On the Trail: Meet the Missus (September 3, 2007)

On Polling: Analyzing Iraq Optimists (August 9, 2007)

Billiam the Snowman responds to Mitt Romney

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20070919 Westminster Eagle Sports

Westminster Eagle sports

Recreation Friday, September 21

For the latest in Carroll County Sports coverage, read Steve Jones in the Westminster Eagle

Related on Soundtrack: Sports in Carroll County, Sports in Carroll County Football, Sports in Carroll County Football Westminster High School

Sports Notes

For a cool time, try out for the Finksburg Freeze

The Finksburg Freeze 14-under baseball travel team will host tryouts for the 2008 season on Saturdays, Sept. 22 and 29; and Sundays, Sept. 23 and 30. Tryouts are 9-11 a.m. each day.

Tryouts will be held at Sandymount Elementary on the lower field...

[Read full story]

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High School Football Results & Schedule

09/19/07

Friday, September 14

Century 22, Walkersville 7

Frederick 15, Winters Mill 14

Brunswick 14, Liberty 13

North Carroll 21, Francis Scott Key 14

Westminster 13, South Carroll 12

Thursday, September 20

Century at Frederick (7 p.m.)

Thomas Johnson at FSK (7 p.m.)

Westminster at Liberty (7 p.m.)

Friday, September 21

Smithsburg at Winters Mill (5 p.m.)

South Carroll at North Carroll (5 p.m.)

Carroll County Standings

Overall County

W-L W-L

North Carroll 2-0 1-0

Century 2-0 0-0

Francis Scott Key 1-1 1-1

Westminster 1-1 1-1

South Carroll 1-1 1-1

Winters Mill 1-1 0-0

Liberty 0-2 0-0

Game of the Week

South Carroll at North Carroll

(Friday; 5 p.m.)

The undefeated Panthers will try to go to 3-0 against the Cavaliers, who need a win to stay in the hunt for the county title.

North Carroll owns victories over Joppatowne and Francis Scott Key, while South Carroll lost a 13-12 heartbreaker to Westminster after rolling over Williamsport in its opener.

The Panthers won last year's matchup by a 27-7 score in Winfield, and the current North Carroll team is better than the 2006 edition.

The Cavaliers have also improved, and are expected to compete for a Class 1A playoff berth after going 3-7 last fall.

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Balanced offense leads North Carroll over FSK

Three touchdowns come in frantic 27 seconds

When North Carroll's senior running back Jeremy E. Ritz went down with a broken shinbone in the Panthers' season-opening victory against Joppatowne, head coach Jeff Oeming and his staff turned to two new faces to keep the ground game going.

On Friday n... [Read full story]

See also: 20070912 Westminster Eagle: Carroll County High School Football Results and Schedule

20070907 Francis Scott Key vs Westminster High Game Video Clips

20070912 Westminster Eagle: Eagles top Owls to gain early edge in county

20070907 WHS Owls entrance on to Ruby Field

20070919 Part 1 of Herb Ruby and Ruby Field - Resetting a local gem to mark Ruby Field

20070920 Dear Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

September 20, 2007 - Dear president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

With all due respect Mr. President; in regard to your most kind offer to visit one of the most holiest places in the United States, “Ground Zero”: in consideration of - among many the dynamics of your various positions and postulations on the contemporary world stage, but in particular, your unique views on the Holocaust.

And – not to mention, your expressed wishes to wipe the nation of Israel off the face of the earth, not to overlook, that you are complicit in supplying arms, soldiers and war materiel to folks who are killing American men and women in uniform, please:

Thank you for your time. And oh, have a nice day.

(Hat tip: Michelle Malkin.)

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