Dayhoff Soundtrack

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

20071219 This week in The Tentacle

This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Fortunately, this year in “The War on Christmas,” no overwhelming weapons of mass Christmas destruction have materialized and it appears that Christmas is winning. And that’s a good thing.

The Chesapeake Bay

Tom McLaughlin

It absolutely can’t be that dirty. No way. The Chesapeake Bay that is. All the information flowing in says the waterway is a cesspool complete with garbage floating on top of its entire length and breath. There are no fish. Anyone catching any are having hallucinations and eating imaginary meals. The water quality sucks with a capital “S.”

Why Be a Republican? – Part 2

Farrell Keough

Aim towards the Enemy. [Instructions printed on U.S. Rocket Launcher]

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Today's Uneasy Iraq

Roy Meachum

Holiday seasons are ever thus: intent on buying gifts and celebrating the season, few Americans notice what's happening in the rest of the world.

Why Be a Republican? – Part 1

Farrell Keough

What is the similarity between an air traffic controller and a pilot? If a pilot screws up, the pilot dies; if the air traffic controller screws up…, the pilot dies. [Anonymous]

Monday, December 17, 2007

The Delegation Workload – Part 3

Richard B. Weldon Jr.

We’ve already examined the county commissioner’s legislative wish list; now it’s time to turn our attention to the other groups seeking legislative support in Annapolis.

Homeland Security Fails I-270

Steven R. Berryman

Commuters traversing the Frederick to DC highway corridor via Interstate 270 suffer the agony still falling from the 1956 Defense Highway Act. The overcapacity delays cause average speeds to be reduced during rush hour to 30 M.P.H., costing a total of six entire man-years of time to be wasted every day.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Another "White Christmas"

Roy Meachum

Some cable channel – I don't remember which – has programmed "White Christmas." Again. The movie is a rework of "Holiday Inn," the wartime flick that introduced the world's greatest secular carol to the world.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Slots, again, with apologies to Will

Tom McLaughlin

Joy filled the streets of Ocean City as the hotel owners sang “We’re in the Money, We’re in the Money” as everyone thought slots parlors would open in Frederick County. Everything would return to normal. Condo and hotel owners would charge the same high prices and the boardwalk shops would not have to compete with the vacationers’ last penny after being gouged by rents.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

The Writers Strike and Christmas

Kevin E. Dayhoff

For those who are fans of early television, especially old Christmas movies and holiday specials, the strike by The Writers Guild of America, which began November 5, may have a temporary silver lining.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Democrats Divide Again

Roy Meachum

Comedian and cowboy Will Rodgers coined one of my favorite sayings: "I belong to no organized political party: I'm a Democrat."

The Delegation’s Workload – Part 2

Richard B. Weldon Jr.

We’ve already looked at the county commissioners’ bill proposals that the county’s legislative delegation will wrestle with, now we’ll consider the bills that affect the whole state, not just our county. These face a much more difficult, if not impossible, path to passage. We’ll also take a gander at the policy statements of the Board of County Commissioners.

10 Dumb Questions I Get – Part 3

Nick Diaz

Readers may be glad to know that this is the last segment of the series on the 10 dumb questions asked of a motorcyclist; the first six of these questions appeared in the first two parts. Today we’ll round the set with the last four.

Monday, December 10, 2007

The Delegation’s Workload – Part 1

Richard B. Weldon Jr.

It hardly seems possible, but we’re less than a month away from the start of the 2008 General Assembly session. Last week, I included a highlight of the Board of County Commissioners legislative package. If you’re anything like the dozens of people who approached me this past week, you’re looking for more information, so here goes.

Jingoist Bells, Jingoist Bells…

Steven R. Berryman

…Jingo all the way. When did patriotism become a negative attribute of Americans, and why isn’t Pat Buchanan running for president in 2008? The advanced press for his new book, Day Of Reckoning, reads more like a campaign platform than it does a plot; his compilation of issues and proposed solutions leaves one feeling a patriotic sense of hope for us all again, so long as his warnings are positively received.

WE GET LETTERS!

WE GET LETTERS!!! A Walkersville resident takes issue with Steve Berryman's treatise on the Supreme Court's decision to hear the matter of the gun ownership law in Washington, DC. CLICK HERE!!! CLICK HERE!

20071217 Best Notable Quotables of 2007

"Best Notable Quotables of 2007, the Twentieth Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting"

***Media Research Center CyberAlert Special***

1:30pm EST, Monday December 17, 2007

Now Online: Results for the "Best Notable Quotables of 2007, the

Twentieth Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting"

The results are in for the "Best Notable Quotables of 2007, the

Twentieth Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting." A panel of

52 leading media observers judged 17 award categories and the winning

quotes and top runners-up have been posted on the MRC's home page,

with the quotes from television accompanied by click-and-play Flash

video, as well as downloadable Windows Media video and MP3 audio

clip.

Check: http://www.mrc.org/

Last week we tabulated the votes and squeezed as many quotes as

we could into the eight-page hard copy version. It went off to the

printer on Wednesday night. A press release announcing the results

went out this morning.

The direct address:

http://www.mrc.org/notablequotables/bestof/2007/welcome.asp

You'll also see a link to an Adobe Acrobat PDF that matches the

eight-page hard copy version. Direct address for the PDF:

http://www.mrc.org/notablequotables/bestof/2007/BestofNQ2007.pdf

For the list of judges, who were generous with their time (list

is also lower in this e-mail):

http://www.mrc.org/notablequotables/bestof/2007/categories/judges.asp

Between Christmas and New Year's Day I'll distribute the text of

all the winners and runners-up, but for now you'll have to go online

to learn the results.

> The 17 award categories:

- Blue State Brigade Award for Campaign Reporting

- Damn Those Conservatives Award

- Good Morning Morons Award

- Dynamic Duo Award for Idolizing Bill and Hillary

- Madness of King George Award

- Tin Foil Hat Award for Crazy Conspiracy Theories

- America Makes Us Sick Award

- Media Hero Award

- Politics of Meaninglessness Award for Silliest Analysis

- Channeling the Nut Roots Award

- Media Millionaires for Higher Taxes

- O Great Goreacle Award

- Barbra Streisand Political IQ Award for Celebrity Vapidity

- Perky Princess Award for Katie's Cutesy Comments

- Drive By Media Award for Shooting at the Competition

- Not Biased Enough Award

- Quote of the Year

> The judges:

- Lee Anderson, Associate Publisher and Editor, Chattanooga Times

Free Press

- Chuck Asay, editorial cartoonist via the Creators Syndicate

- Brent H. Baker, MRC's Vice President for Research and Publications;

Editor of CyberAlert and Editor the NewsBusters blog

- Mark Belling, radio talk show host, WISN-AM in Milwaukee

- Neal Boortz, nationally syndicated radio talk show host

- L. Brent Bozell III, President of the Media Research Center and

author of Whitewash: What the Media Won't Tell You About Hillary

Clinton, But Conservatives Will

- Priscilla Buckley, Contributing Editor for National Review

- Bill Cotterell, political editor at the Tallahassee Democrat

- Blanquita Cullum, Podjockey.com

- Bill Cunningham, nationally syndicated radio talk show host from

WLW in Cincinnati

- Midge Decter, author, member of the Heritage Foundation's Board of Trustees

- Bob Dutko, radio talk show host, WMUZ-FM in Detroit

- Jim Eason, retired radio talk show host

- Don Feder, former Boston Herald columnist; author, media consultant

at Don Feder & Associates

- Eric Fettmann, Associate Editorial Page Editor, New York Post

- Ed Flynn, radio talk host on WATR in Waterbury, CT

- Michael Graham, radio talk show host on WTKK in Boston and Boston

Herald columnist

- Tim Graham, Director of Media Analysis, Media Research Center;

Senior Editor of the NewsBusters blog

- Steven Greenhut, senior editorial writer and columnist, Orange

County Register

- Kirk Healy, Executive Producer, WDBO Radio in Orlando

-Quin Hillyer, Senior Editor, The American Spectator

- Fred Honsberger, radio talk show host, Newsradio 1020 KDKA in Pittsburgh

- Jeff Jacoby, columnist for the Boston Globe

- Marie Kaigler, mass media and developmental consultant, Detroit

- Cliff Kincaid, Editor, Accuracy in Media

- Mark Larson, Program Director and talk show host on San Diego 1700 AM

- Mark Levin, nationally syndicated radio talk show host

- Jason Lewis, talk show host, 100.3 KTLK-FM in Minneapolis

- Kathryn Jean Lopez, Editor of National Review Online

- Brian Maloney, radio analyst, creator of The RadioEqualizer blog

- Steve Malzberg, nationally syndicated talk show host from WOR in

New York City

- Patrick McGuigan, Contributing Editor, The City Sentinel in

Oklahoma City

- Colin McNickle, Editorial Page Editor, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

- Joe McQuaid, Publisher, New Hampshire Union Leader

- Paul Mirengoff, co-author of PowerLine blog

- Robert D. Novak, syndicated columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times;

author of The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington

- Rich Noyes, Director of Research, Media Research Center; Senior

Editor of the NewsBusters blog

- Henry Payne, editorial cartoonist, The Detroit News

- Wladyslaw Pleszczynski, Editorial Director, The American Spectator

- Michael Reagan, nationally syndicated radio talk show host

- Chris Reed, editorial writer, San Diego Union-Tribune

- Mike Rosen, radio talk show host, KOA in Denver; columnist for the

Rocky Mountain News

- William A. Rusher, Distinguished Fellow, Claremont Institute;

syndicated columnist

- Matthew Sheffield, Executive Editor of NewsBusters, the MRC's blog

- James Taranto, Editor of OpinionJournal.com

- Philip Terzian, Literary Editor for The Weekly Standard

- Cal Thomas, syndicated columnist; panelist on FNC's Fox News Watch

- Chris Warden, Assistant Professor of Journalism, Troy University

- Clay Waters, Editor of the MRC's TimesWatch.org

- Walter E. Williams, economics professor, George Mason University

- Thomas S. Winter, Editor-in-Chief of Human Events

- Martha Zoller, radio talk show host for WDUN in Gainseville, GA

For links to Web pages for the judges:

http://www.mrc.org/notablequotables/bestof/2007/categories/judges.asp

- Brent Baker

Check Out the MRC's Blog

The MRC's blog site, NewsBusters, "Exposing and Combating Liberal Media Bias," provides examples of bias 24/7. With your participation NewsBusters will continue to be THE blog site for tracking and correcting liberal media bias. Come post your comments and get fresh proof of media misdeeds at: http://www.newsbusters.org

20071218 Cleaning off the computer Reading Notes

Cleaning off the computer Reading Notes

December 18, 2007

The War on the War on Christmas

http://defendchristmas.com/

It is coming — just as it does every year. There is no stopping it. As surely as trees are decorated and stockings are hung by the chimney with care, we brace ourselves for it. It is just part of the routine. You could say it has become tradition.

####

Cops help shop to make Christmas a little nicer

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2007/12/16/news/local_news/newsstory5.txt

By Erica Kritt, Times Staff Writer Sunday, December 16, 2007

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First Americans All Came From Siberia, DNA Suggests

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,313230,00.html

Wednesday, November 28, 2007 By Dave Mosher

Humans somehow made their way into the Americas from distant lands, but knowing precisely when and from where they made the journey are matters of heated scientific debate.

New genetic evidence, however, backs up the theory of a chilly northwestern arrival to North America from Siberia about 12,000 years ago, via a temporary land bridge spanning the Bering Strait.

The findings further challenge an alternative idea that humans trickled into both North and South America via open-sea voyages 30,000 years in the past.

Click here to read the full journal article at the PLoS Genetics Web site.

Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Archaeology Center.

Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Evolution & Paleontology Center.

####

http://www.livescience.com/

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Pirate Captain William Kidd's Ship Possibly Found

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316786,00.html

Friday, December 14, 2007

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A U.S. underwater archaeology team announced Thursday it has likely discovered the shattered remnants of a ship once captained by the notorious buccaneer William Kidd off a tiny Dominican Republic island.

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http://www.npr.org/templates/player/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=17110447&m=17197180

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20071018 CyberAlert

CyberAlert

Tuesday December 18, 2007

1. Time Mag Chief: Gore a 'Superb Choice' for Person of the Year Time magazine's Managing Editor hinted on Monday's Today show that Al Gore would be a "superb choice" for recipient of the publication's 2007 Person of the Year award. Richard Stengel agreed with co-host Meredith Vieira that the former Vice President was on the "short list" and extolled: "He's had an extraordinary year. He's had an extraordinary influence. There was a real tipping point this year in terms of people being conscious of the environment. So, he would be a superb choice." On Time's Web site, the magazine is currently ranking the potential of the seven "short list" candidates. Each person receives a pro and con as to why that individual might or might not win. And while General David Petraeus's "con" is that he can be seen as "excessively protective" of President Bush, Gore's negative is simply that much of his "green works" were completed in 2006. However, the "pro" touted impact: "The Nobel Prize ensures that a generation of children will envision his face while being scolded for leaving a room without turning off the lights." The winner of Time's "Person of the Year" will be announced live on Wednesday's Today.

2. ABC's Kate Snow: Lieberman a 'Conservative' Backing McCain According to ABC's Kate Snow, support for the Iraq War automatically makes one a conservative, even if that individual is liberal on most other issues. In reporting on Monday's Good Morning America on the increasingly tight race between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, Snow briefly mentioned at the end that Joseph Lieberman endorsed John McCain. She dismissively referred to Lieberman as a "conservative" when she announced McCain "won over a long-time Democrat, all be it a conservative one."

3. Tom Brokaw: Iraq Surge Success a 'Black Mark' on Team Bush In a long interview with Rachel Sklar of The Huffington Post, former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw accentuated the dark cloud inside the silver lining of the surge. The fact that it's having some effect only darkens a "black mark" against the administration. But when it comes to the current campaign, he could only offer praise for Hillary Clinton ("enormous capacity" of her "native intelligence") and Barack Obama (also with "enormous intelligence," and some rookie mistakes.)

4. Now Online: '20th Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting' Now Online: Results for the "Best Notable Quotables of 2007, the Twentieth Annual Awards for the Year's Worst Reporting" A panel of 52 leading media observers judged 17 award categories and the winning quotes and top runners-up have been posted on the MRC's home page, with the quotes from television accompanied by click-and-play Flash video, as well as downloadable Windows Media video and MP3 audio clip.

5. Christmas Gift Idea: Bozell's New Book on the Media and Hillary MRC President Brent Bozell's new book on the news media and Hillary Clinton: The Perfect Holiday Gift for Your Favorite Conservative. This Christmas, give your favorite conservative, Mom, Dad, friend or colleague, something you know they will love. Give them Whitewash: What the Media Won't Tell You about Hillary Clinton but Conservatives Will, by the Media Research Center's own L. Brent Bozell and Tim Graham. Listen to Sean Hannity: "This is the defining book that needed to be written on Hillary Clinton, and anybody who votes in 2008 needs to examine this thoroughly."

A usually-daily report, edited by Brent H. Baker, CyberAlert is distributed by the Media Research Center, the leader since 1987 in documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.

The 2,549^th CyberAlert. Tracking Liberal Media Bias Since 1996
11:50am EST, Tuesday December 18, 2007 (Vol. Twelve; No. 222)

Check Out the MRC's Blog

20071218 Search results for “environment” on the Carroll County Times

Search results for “environment” on the Carroll County Times

December 18, 2007

The EPA can't protect us
If you think it's safe to entrust your family's health to the Environmental Protection Agency, think again. In describing his documentary, Bill Moyers says, "For 50 years Americans have enjoyed the bounty of the chemical revolution, trusting the gove...
Dec. 17, 2007

Building with the planet in mind
Lynn Wheeler couldn’t think of a better building to be built with the environment in mind than the Finksburg branch of the Carroll County Public Library. Wheeler, director of the Carroll County Public Library, said having the library go green i...
Dec. 18, 2007

Recent legislation addresses environmental issues
While environmental talk in Washington in the past year has centered mainly on global warming and alternative fuels, Maryland legislators passed bills on a variety of environmental issues. The Stormwater Management Act of 2007 set new standards for t...
Dec. 16, 2007

Small improvements equal big savings for Westminster man
Tucked away in a suburban Westminster neighborhood, David Iacono’s house may not seem all that different from his neighbors’ homes, but his electricity bills are. Iacono has been making small improvements on his house for five years to ma...
Dec. 17, 2007

Municipalities increase green initiatives
Tighter zoning guidelines, hybrid vehicle fleets among efforts While all Carroll County municipalities offer recycling and use some form of energy-saving lighting, some towns have taken extra steps to try to reduce their impact on the environment. In...
Dec. 18, 2007

The Politics of Fear, Hate, and Lies.
The low approval ratings of our President and the Congress reflect the frustration of many for the politics of fear, hate and lies that underlie the current political environment. Politicians have reached a new low in the hateful and mean-spirited po...
Dec. 14, 2007

Green vs. sustainable
Matt Testa considers himself an environmentalist, even attending the first national Earth Day celebration in Washington, D.C., in 1970. But when he sees the word “green” being used in commercials, he tunes out. “Green is promotional...
Dec. 16, 2007

Tip No. 7 of 100: Go low-flow
When it comes to water use in your home, how low can you go? Switching to low-flow toilets and faucets goes a long way when it comes to water conservation. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, old, inefficient toilets are responsibl...
Dec. 16, 2007

Many in Carroll use more water than needed
County municipalities are urging residents to be smarter in their water usage, in some cases by enforcing water restrictions. According to the Maryland Department of the Environment, the average Maryland resident uses 100 gallons of water per day. Th...
Dec. 17, 2007

Some forego harsh chemicals in cleaners
Baking soda, lemons and vinegar are staples in Greg and Jennifer Padrick’s house, and not just for cooking. The Padricks use those simple products to clean every counter, sink and tub in their Westminster home. Baking soda acts as a mild sandpa...
Dec. 17, 2007

Day 3: County Efforts
Earlier this year, Carroll signed the Cool County declaration pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050. Even before making the pledge, Tom Rio, bureau chief of building construction, said the county was incorporating...
Dec. 18, 2007

Day 3: County Efforts Raw Footage
Earlier this year, Carroll signed the Cool County declaration pledging to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050. Even before making the pledge, Tom Rio, bureau chief of building construction, said the county was incorporating...
Dec. 18, 2007

Capture joys of holiday season
How do we capture those seasonal tidings of comfort and joy? According to a survey by marketer Lands' End, in many different ways. Here are some of the findings, according to a holiday survey on what most people consider Christmas joy. Below are some...
Dec. 14, 2007

Best Bets for Dec. 13-19
Adopt this 'Credo!' The always superb Masterworks Chorale of Carroll County will present its 2007 fall concert "Credo!" at McDaniel College's Baker Memorial Chapel Dec. 16. The show features the "Credo" section of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Mass in B M...
Dec. 13, 2007

Carroll News Briefs
Eldersburg businesses without water for hours About 25 to 30 businesses and five homes in Eldersburg were without water for several hours Tuesday evening after a contractor for the State Highway Administration hit a service line on Md. 32. According ...
Dec. 12, 2007

Water source may meet demands
Mt. Airy councilman: Test wells can provide enough liquid for supply MOUNT AIRY Engineers working for Mount Airy say they may have found a source of groundwater large enough to allow the town to meet the terms of a consent agreement with the Maryla...
Dec. 12, 2007

To burn or not to burn: County commissioners to hold panel on waste recommendations
Carroll County’s Board of Commissioners has yet to debate among themselves whether they want to go forward with a waste-to-energy incinerator, but they may be watching a debate on the positives and negatives of the technology Thursday. The comm...
Dec. 10, 2007

Tip No. 19 of 100: Use compact fluorescent bulbs
When it comes to your home’s energy consumption, it pays to lighten up. Replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs drastically reduces energy consumption. McDaniel College Associate Professor of Environmental Policy...
Dec. 17, 2007

Tip No. 27 of 100: Plant a tree on your property
Thomas Jefferson once said, “I never knew the full value of a tree. Under them I breakfast, dine, write, read and receive my company.” Little doubt, if Jefferson were alive today, he’d see the additional environmental benefit of the...
Dec. 18, 2007

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Tuesday, December 18, 2007

20071216 Frugality county police needed by Mike Zimmer

Carroll County Times Other Voices: “Frugality, county police needed” by Carroll County Commissioner Mike Zimmer

By Michael Zimmer, Other Voices

Sunday, December 16, 2007

I greatly appreciated the Times editorial of December 9 urging the commissioners to refrain from raising taxes to make up for reductions in funding expectations from the state.

In the face of higher sales taxes, higher electric bills and higher fuel costs the last thing the people of Carroll County need is a rate hike in their real property taxes.

[…]

A second topic that deserves comment is the unanimous vote earlier this year by the commissioners to shift our primary law enforcement from a blended system of the Sheriff's Department and State Police Resident Troopers toward a county police force.

If anyone wants to understand the rational for each commissioner's vote, the best thing to do is to review the video archive of our meeting of October 4 on the county government Web site under the video library and agendas header.

[…]

This doesn't mean that I think Sheriff Ken Tregoning has done a bad job. Actually, it is just the opposite. Because he has done such a good job at filling the gap between a capped resident trooper program and our growing needs, he has put the commissioners in a position that allows us to make this decision from a position of strength, not weakness.

[…]

Read the entire piece here: Carroll County Times Other Voices: “Frugality, county police needed” by Carroll County Commissioner Mike Zimmer

And please report dead links…

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Monday, December 17, 2007

20071215 The 22nd Maryland Blogger Alliance Blog Carnival of Maryland is up at Mike’s Nether Land

The 22nd Maryland Blogger Alliance Blog Carnival of Maryland is up at Mike’s Nether Land

Mike Netherland has done a super job with The 22nd Blog Carnival of Maryland

Saturday, December 15, 2007

He wrote in his introduction:

I am pleased to host the 22nd Carnival. Below you will find posts that many of MBA's finest bloggers have personally selected from their own blog sites in hopes that exposure on Mike's Nether Land will provide their writings a wider audience than they would otherwise enjoy.

And YOU, dear reader, dear devoted Mike's Nether Land fan, can sample posts from a broad spectrum of ideologies without having to labor over yet another piece of right-wing zealotry and psycho-neurotic "issues" you usually find here.

Read through the entire Blog Carnival here: The 22nd Blog Carnival of Maryland

The 23rd edition is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 30, at Inside Charm City

++++

UPDATE on Maryland Blog Carnival

Hosted by members of the Maryland Blogger Alliance.

Carnival of Maryland 022 hosted by Mike's Nether Land on December 15^th, 2007

Blog Carnival 022 submission: “20071201 Operation Christmas Tree”

Saturday, December 1, 2007, over 300 volunteers gathered at the Carroll County Maryland Ag Center for “Operation Christmas Tree,” to pack 5,000 live decorated Christmas trees for the troops in Iraq.

Carnival of Maryland 021 hosted by Pillage Idiot on December 2^nd, 2007

Blog Carnival 021 submission: “20071128 Westminster Eagle: Kids and cops share a little holiday magic by Kevin Dayhoff”

Westminster Police Chief Jeff Spaulding joined Wal Mart store manager Harry Anuszewski and Wal Mart employee, Debbie Sabock on Friday, November 16, 2007 to kick off the 4th annual "Shop With A Cop" Christmas program. A YouTube video of the event can be found with My YouTube videos or go here: Westminster Maryland Shop With A Cop. For more information please call (410) 848-4646 and ask for a soft a cuddly police office who may be able to tell you more about the Shop With A Cop program.

Carnival of Maryland 020 hosted by Leviathan Montgomery on November 18^th, 2007

Carnival of Maryland 019 hosted by The Greenbelt on November 4^th, 2007

Blog Carnival 019 submission: 20071101 Today Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge

My October 31, 2007 – Wednesday Westminster Eagle column is up on the Westminster Eagle web site and it pertains to one of my favorite forms of literature, Southern Gothic storytelling and one of my favorite songs from my teenage years, “Ode to Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry.

It was forty years ago in the late summer of 1967 that we first learned from “Mama” that the nice young preacher, Brother Taylor “said he saw a girl that looked a lot like you up on Choctaw Ridge. And she and Billy Joe was throwing somethin' off the Tallahatchie Bridge.”

I first heard the song, “Ode to Billy Joe,” by Bobbie Gentry that summer on WCAO on the AM dial of the car radio. It was also in this time period that I became firmly hooked on the existential - “Southern Gothic” genre of storytelling.

For more information on the: Maryland Blogger Alliance Blog Carnival of Maryland

Or click here: 20071023 What is the Carnival of Maryland? By Attila the Pillage Idiot

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20070913 Light Bulb Efficiency Standards

Senate Energy Committee hearing Wednesday - - S2017

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery?s=Jane+Harman+Light+Bulb+Efficiency+Standards&gwp=13

http://green.yahoo.com/18seconds/

http://www.house.gov/harman/press/archive.shtml

#### 12/17/2007 ####

_____

Update: March 28, 2008

Mercury in Fluorescent Bulbs - misc.health.alternative | Google Groups
The bill increases efficiency standards and effectively bans traditional bulbs
by 2014, a timetable considered a victory by supporters like Rep. Jane Harman ...
groups.google.com/group/misc.health.alternative/ browse_thread/thread/d215ea606dcae214/7735aedd9a26bd32

The Virtual Office of Congresswoman Jane Harman - News - HARMAN ...
Jane Harman (D-Venice) and Fred Upton (R-MI) to ban by 2020 the sale of any light
bulb that is not three times more efficient than today’s incandescent ...
www.house.gov/list/press/ca36_harman/June_27.shtml

Energy bill boosts fuel-economy standards - Los Angeles Times
Dec 19, 2007 ... Harman's provision would require that by 2020 light bulbs be at least three ...
to set stricter energy-efficiency standards for light bulbs. ...
www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/ la-na-energy19dec19,0,1969731.story?coll=la-home-center

EarthNews » Archive » Light-bulb bill a likely winner if ...
Sep 13, 2007 ... Jane Harman (D-Calif.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich. ... If Congress passes light-bulb
efficiency legislation, it would join a host of other ...
www.earthportal.org/news/?p=469

Hill Heat : S.2017, to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation ...
‘Tough’ Standards. Representative Jane Harman, a chief sponsor of the House ...
inefficient incandescent light bulbs toward higher-efficiency standards. ...
www.hillheat.com/events/2007/09/12/ s-2017-to-amend-the-energy-policy-and-conservation-act-to-prov...

Bill to Ban Regular Light Bulbs Introduced in House -- 03/21/2007
Mar 21, 2007 ... Jane Harman (D-Calif.) introduced legislation that would set target ... ban light
bulbs that do not comply with energy-efficiency targets. ...
www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/ Nation/archive/200703/NAT20070321a.html

News Archive - The Virtual Office of Congresswoman Jane Harman
The Virtual Office of Congresswoman Jane Harman. return to the home page ...
PROVISION TO INCREASE LIGHT BULB EFFICIENCY PASSES HOUSE Harman-authored ...
www.house.gov/harman/press/archive.shtml

Jane Harman - SHARP Network
HARMAN, Jane F., a Representative from California; born in New York, N.Y., June 28,
... By 2020, the bill requires that light bulbs be at least 3 times more ...
sharp.sefora.org/people/house/jane-harman/

Kah Zoohl List: Light Bulbs and Liberty
Congresswoman Jane Harman is one of the few Democratic politicians whom I ...
YOUR LIBERTY to set minimum efficiency standards for light bulbs and ban the ...
kazoolist.blogspot.com/2007/03/ light-bulbs-and-liberty.html

Bush signs bill to increase fuel efficiency - Los Angeles Times
Dec 20, 2007 ... click to enlarge. We ban by 2012 the famously inefficient 100-watt incandescent
bulb. — Rep. Jane Harman (D-Venice) ...
www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/ la-na-energy20dec20,1,3516223.story

For more information: Jane Harman Light Bulb Efficiency Standards

20071216 The Media’s Top 10 Economic Myths of 2007

The Media’s Top 10 Economic Myths of 2007

Compiled by the Business & Media Institute

See Full Report

Don’t believe the hype! To get the truth, visit www.businessandmedia.org

10. Airlines are solely to blame for the unfriendly skies.
Media myth: Blame the airlines for all those flight delays; never mind the obsolete government-run agency creating the gridlock.

9. Consumer spending is the be-all, end-all of the economy.
Media myth: Without excessive consumer spending – especially at Christmastime – the U.S. economy will collapse.

8. The stock market is trouble, whether it goes up or down.
Media myth: One day the stock market can’t sustain growth; the next, we’re just one drop away from another crash.

7. Anyone who ‘denies’ global warming shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Media myth: Global warming could cause a ‘century of fires,’ just as it has created allergies and ended winter fashion. If we don’t do something now (i.e. spend hundreds of billions of dollars), it’s only going to get worse.

6. You’d better not eat/drink that!
Media myth: Forget the right to eat as you please; the nanny-state knows better.

5. Most Americans are losing their homes.
Media myth: Americans everywhere are losing their homes to foreclosure, and the housing bust is going to ruin the economy.

4. “Going Green” is good for America and business.
Media myth: Businesses are much better off if they go green, and that’s what people really want anyway.

3. Lenders are responsible for everyone’s debts.
Media myth: Drowning in red ink isn’t your fault; blame the guy who loaned you the money.

2. Free health care would be great!
Media myth: To save our children and the 47 million uninsured Americans, and to keep up with the rest of the world, we must have government-run health care.

1. The U.S. Economy is in recession.
Media myth: The U.S. economy is nearly in, or is in, a recession.

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Thursday, December 13, 2007

20071213 Cleaning off the computer Reading Notes

Cleaning off the computer Reading Notes
December 13, 2007

Investigating the holiday's most tabooed treat by Jordan Bartel

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2007/11/29/features/encore/columns/jordan_bartel/bartel865.txt

By Jordan Bartel, Times Staff Writer Thursday, November 29, 2007

I've never had fruitcake and lately I was wondering why.

It's been almost ingrained in my mind that I shouldn't try fruitcake or like fruitcake. It's like some kind of holiday taboo treat. You have to keep it on the downlow if you like it and it's popular to make fun of it.

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BBC: Led Zeppelin return to the stage

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7135200.stm

Tuesday, 11 December 2007

Led Zeppelin have played their first concert in 19 years, before nearly 20,000 fans at London's 02 arena.

Their set, lasting about two hours, opened with Good Times Bad Times, the first track of their debut album.

Original band members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones were joined on stage by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham.

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Led Zeppelin to confirm reunion 12 Sep 07 Entertainment

Zeppelin fans warned off 'touts' 03 Sep 07 Entertainment

Zeppelin star tops festival bill 19 Aug 07 Mid Wales

Led Zeppelin make UK Hall of Fame 12 Sep 06 Entertainment