Best Shoes of the Day – The Daily Shoe Watch
February 28th, 2007
I found this wonderful pair of shoes at a local frame shop in
If you ever been in Gizmos during the day the place is regular bee hive of activity and here at “Soundtrack” we were really appreciative that this nice young lady stopped for two seconds to let us capture an image of her shoes for everyone to admire.
For more on Gizmos Art, Lyndi McNulty's – go here.
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Monday morning it snowed
Monday morning it snowed – the “Wonder Of It All.”
February 26th, 2007
For a Lauren Summerford “Jesusfreakhideout.com” January 2006 interview with the band – go here. She quizzed “the band's vocalist Derek Stipe on their name, their origin, and where they're headed…”
The band’s web site is here: www.mondaymorningmusic.com. Good for some tunes while working away at the keyboard.
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Benjamin’s Krider’s United Church of Christ and Cemetery
Krider’s
Established 1761
I looked for a web site for the church and I was not able to find one. I did however find a list of the folks buried in the cemetery as of October 25th, 1889 here: “Krider's Cemetery, Carroll Co., MD List of interments” or http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/md/carroll/cemeteries/krider.txt
“Krider's (St Benjamin's) Lutheran & Reformed Cemetery is located on
Krider's Church Road near Westminster, Carroll County,
list of interments taken October 25, 1889, was found in The Democratic
Advocate, a local newspaper, and was published the first of February 1890.”
I also found a list of cemeteries in
http://www.idreamof.com/cemetery/md.html
CARROLL
Bachman's Cemetery
Harney - Piney
New
Silver Run - St. Mary's Lutheran / Reformed Cemetery
Taneytown -
Tyrone - Baust's Lutheran / Reformed Cemetery
Uniontown -
That’s as far as I took it…
Kevin
All The Leaves Are Brown
Daily Photoblog
February 23rd, 2007
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p73rOqGyFcU
Written by John and Michelle Phillips, © 1966
All the leaves are brown
And the sky is grey
I went for a walk
On a winter's day
I'd be safe and warm
If I was in
On such a winter's day
I stopped into a church (stopped into a church)
I passed along the way (passed along the way)
You know, I got down on my knees (got down on my knees)
And I pretend to pray (I pretend to pray)
Oh, the preacher likes the cold (preacher likes the cold)
He knows I'm gonna stay (knows I'm gonna stay)
Oh,
On such a winter's day
All the leaves are brown (the leaves are brown)
And the sky is grey (and the sky is grey)
I went for a walk (I went for a walk)
On a winter's day (on a winter's day)
If I didn't tell her (if I didn't tell her)
I could leave today (I could leave today)
Oh,
On such a winter's day (
On such a winter's day (
On such a winter's day (
On such a winter's day
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Always Faithful by Congressman and former POW Sam Johnson
Sam Johnson, former POW: “The pain inflicted by your country’s indifference is tenfold that inflicted by your ruthless captors”
http://www.samjohnson.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=58470
Washington, Feb 16 – 2007
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To gain some additional understanding of where Representative Johnson is coming from go to:
20040527 POW Congressman Johnson Hanoi Used Kerry Speech
Or
http://www.kevindayhoff.com/2004/05/20040527-pow-congressman-johnson-hanoi.html
or
POW Congressman: Hanoi Used Kerry Speech, Gore Comments 'Traitorous'
Thursday, May 27, 2004 11:34 a.m. EDT
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/5/27/113857.shtml
For a brief biography of Representative Johnson – go to the end of the speech…
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Congressman Johnson (R-TX) Floor Speech (02.16.07)
YouTube video Provided By: Republican Whip Roy Blunt
Congressman Sam Johnson served in the U. Congressman Sam Johnson served in the U.S. Air Force for 29-years as a highly decorated pilot. He flew combat missions in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars and was a prisoner of war in Hanoi for nearly seven years. Then, in 1991, he embarked on a new mission of service - representing the people of Texas' third district in the United States Congress.
_____
20070216 Always Faithful by Congressman and former POW Sam Johnson
Sam Johnson, former POW: “The pain inflicted by your country’s indifference is tenfold that inflicted by your ruthless captors”
http://www.samjohnson.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=58470
Washington, Feb 16 – 2007
Today U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) delivered the following closing statement on the floor of the House during the 36-hour debate on Iraq.
A 29-year Air Force veteran, Johnson served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Johnson spent nearly seven years as a Prisoner of War, more than half of that time in solitary confinement.
Coincidentally, this week in 1973 as one of the longest held captives, Johnson finally left Hanoi on February 12, 1973 and returned home to Texas on February 17, 1973.
Earlier this week on Monday, Johnson spent the anniversary of his release pleading with a House panel to accept his amendment to support and fully fund the troops for the 36 hours of debate on the troop escalation in Iraq.
Johnson’s floor statement follows:
“You know, I flew 62 combat missions in the Korean War and 25 missions in the Vietnam War before being shot down.
“I had the privilege of serving in the United States Air Force for 29 years, attending the prestigious National War College, and commanding two air bases, among other things.
“I mention these stories because I view the debate on the floor not just as a U.S. Congressman elected to serve the good people of the Third District in Texas, but also through the lens of a life-long fighter pilot, student of war, a combat warrior, a leader of men, and a Prisoner of War.
“Ironically, this week marks the anniversary that I started a new life – and my freedom from prison in Hanoi.
“I spent nearly seven years as a Prisoner of War in Vietnam, more than half of that time in solitary confinement. I flew out of Hanoi on February 12, 1973 with other long-held Prisoners of War – weighing just 140 pounds. And tomorrow – 34 years ago, I had my homecoming to Texas – a truly unspeakable blessing of freedom.
“While in solitary confinement, my captors kept me in leg stocks, like the pilgrims… for 72 days….
“As you can imagine, they had to carry me out of the stocks because I couldn’t walk. The following day, they put me in leg irons… for 2 ½ years. That’s when you have a tight metal cuff around each ankle – with a foot-long bar connecting the legs.
“I still have little feeling in my right arm and my right hand… and my body has never been the same since my nearly 2,500 days of captivity.
“But I will never let my physical wounds hold me back.
“Instead, I try to see the silver lining. I say that because in some way … I’m living a dream…a hope I had for the future.
“From April 16, 1966 to February 12, 1973 – I prayed that I would return home to the loving embrace of my wife, Shirley, and my three kids, Bob, Gini, and Beverly…
“And my fellow POWs and I clung to the hope of when – not if – we returned home.
“We would spend hours tapping on the adjoining cement walls about what we would do when we got home to America.
“We pledged to quit griping about the way the government was running the war in Vietnam and do something about it… We decided that we would run for office and try to make America a better place for all.
“So – little did I know back in my rat-infested 3 x 8 dark and filthy cell that 34 years after my departure from Hell on Earth… I would spend the anniversary of my release pleading for a House panel to back my measure to support and fully fund the troops in harm’s way….and that just days later I would be on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives surrounded by distinguished veterans urging Congress to support our troops to the hilt.
“We POWs were still in Vietnam when Washington cut the funding for Vietnam. I know what it does to morale and mission success. Words can not fully describe the horrendous damage of the anti-American efforts against the war back home to the guys on the ground.
“Our captors would blare nasty recordings over the loud speaker of Americans protesting back home…tales of Americans spitting on Vietnam veterans when they came home... and worse.
“We must never, ever let that happen again.
“The pain inflicted by your country’s indifference is tenfold that inflicted by your ruthless captors.
“Our troops – and their families – want, need and deserve the full support of the country – and the Congress. Moms and dads watching the news need to know that the Congress will not leave their sons and daughters in harm’s way without support.
“Since the President announced his new plan for Iraq last month, there has been steady progress. He changed the rules of engagement and removed political protections.
“There are reports we wounded the number two of Al Qaeda and killed his deputy. Yes, Al Qaeda operates in Iraq. It’s alleged that top radical jihadist Al-Sadr has fled Iraq – maybe to Iran. And Iraq’s closed its borders with Iran and Syria. The President changed course and offered a new plan …we are making progress. We must seize the opportunity to move forward, not stifle future success.
“Debating non-binding resolutions aimed at earning political points only destroys morale, stymies success, and emboldens the enemy.
“The grim reality is that this House measure is the first step to cutting funding of the troops…Just ask John Murtha about his ‘slow-bleed’ plan that hamstrings our troops in harm’s way.
“Now it’s time to stand up for my friends who did not make it home – and those who fought and died in Iraq - so I can keep my promise that when we got home we would quit griping about the war and do something positive about it…and we must not allow this Congress to leave these troops like the Congress left us.
“Today, let my body serve as a brutal reminder that we must not repeat the mistakes of the past… instead learn from them.
“We must not cut funding for our troops. We must stick by them. We must support them all the way…To our troops we must remain…always faithful.
“God bless you and I salute you all. Thank you.”
Biography of Representative Johnson:
Sam Johnson returned home to Texas after serving in the U.S. Air Force for 29-years as a highly decorated pilot. He flew combat missions in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars and was a prisoner of war in Hanoi for nearly seven years. After his military career, he established a home-building business and served in the Texas legislature. Then, in 1991, he embarked on a new mission of service- representing the people of Texas' third district in the United States Congress.
Dubbed a "Top Texan" by USA Today, Johnson is the highest-ranking Texan on both the prestigious Ways & Means Committee and the Committee on Education and the Workforce. On these committees, he is able to influence the key issues of economic security, health care and improving our children's education. As one of a few Members of Congress who has fought in combat, Johnson serves as an informal advisor on military readiness issues.
He has consistently advocated smarter government, lower taxes, cutting wasteful spending, and pushing for a simpler, fairer tax system.
On the Education Committee, Johnson continues to work to return control of education to parents, teachers, and local school boards-where it belongs. As the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations, Johnson is one of three Members of 535 who has authority over retirement, health and labor issues.
After growing up in Dallas and graduating from Southern Methodist University, Johnson began his 29-year career in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as director of the Air Force Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) and flew with the Air Force Thunderbirds precision flying demonstration team. In the Korean War, he flew F-86s in 62 combat missions.
In the Vietnam War, Johnson flew F-4s. While flying his 25th combat mission in 1966, he was shot down over North Vietnam. He spent nearly seven years as a prisoner of war, half of that time in solitary confinement. Fellow POW Capt. James Mulligan, USN (Ret.) recalled the day Johnson was allowed to return to a joint cell. He walked into the room with the two other detained American officers, "stood at attention with tears in his eyes, and said simply, 'Lieutenant Colonel Sam Johnson reporting for duty, sir'...after he had not talked to or directly been with an American for three full years." Johnson recounts the details of his POW experience in his autobiography, Captive Warriors.
A decorated war hero, Johnson was awarded two Silver Stars, two Legions of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, one Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts, four Air Medals, and three Outstanding Unit Awards.
Sam Johnson is married to the former Shirley L. Melton, of Dallas. They are proud parents of three children and ten grandchildren.
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Iraq War, Military, Military Veterans Day, Vietnam
Back in Frozen North
February 19th, 2007
No better opportunity to feature a YouTube video I came across the other day for Valentines Day, “Chasing Cars”[1] by one of my current favorite indie bands, “Snow Patrol.”
Click here for the “Snow Patrol” web site.
“Chasing Cars” is off their May 1, 2006 album release, “Eyes Open.”
Snow Patrol is an indie rock band from Northern Ireland,
Originally formed in late 1994 as "Shrug", the band started by performing gigs at
_____
Snow Patrol - Set The Fire To The Third Bar
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_____
[1] 20060501 Chasing Cars lyrics
We'll do it all
Everything
On our own
We don't need
Anything
Or anyone
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel
Those three words
Are said too much
They're not enough
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life
Let's waste time
Chasing cars
Around our heads
I need your grace
To remind me
To find my own
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden that's bursting into life
All that I am
All that I ever was
Is here in your perfect eyes, they're all I can see
I don't know where
Confused about how as well
Just know that these things will never change for us at all
If I lay here
If I just lay here
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?
County responds to major storm
Carroll County, Maryland, USA
February 16th, 2007
While I was on the phone with Vivian Laxton, W.A.B., the public information officer for
Ms. Laxton, please enjoy the picture and please know that the wind has picked up down here and the skies have become overcast. So much so that while I was talking with you on the phone, I had to put on a long sleeved shirt.
The bottom photo is from when I was I was talking with the Westminster Police Chief, Jeff Spaulding and Ashley Reams, a reporter with the Westminster Advocate, earlier in the day.
Yeah, I’m thinking of all of ya. We’re roughing it down here – and I know you care. I guess the temperature has dipped to the high 70s.
Anyway, now where was I? Oh, that’s right, the press release from Ms. Laxton, W.A.B., P.I.O. for
News Release
For more information, contact: Vivian D. Laxton, W.A.B., Public Information Administrator.
For Immediate Release
County responds to major storm
http://ccgovernment.carr.org/ccg/releases/stormtotals.pdf
February 15, 2007 - Carroll County's Department of Public Works employees spent approximately 6,160 man-hours clearing 973 miles of county-maintained roads during and after the winter storm that moved through the area Tuesday and Wednesday, February 13-14.
Crews began treating roads at 4 a.m. on Tuesday and continued well into Thursday. One to 3 inches of snow fell during the day Tuesday. Between 7 p.m. Tuesday and 7 a.m. Wednesday, another 6 to 7 inches of sleet fell over much of the county. When rain began to mix with sleet early Wednesday, the sleet soaked up the moisture like a sponge. The extreme weight of the
precipitation made it difficult for plows to move.
With approximately 110 employees clearing 50 snow plow routes, usually streets can be cleared of 6 inches of snow eight hours after the storm ends. Because of the heavy accumulation, the Valentine's Day storm took twice as long to clear. About 2,500 tons of salt were used by county crews. Sixty-two pieces of equipment, including 55 trucks, six motor graders and a rubber tire loader, were utilized by the county and its contractors to plow.
In addition, the county's Department of General Services had crews working from midnight Monday through Thursday to clear ice and sleet from parking lots at
Approximately 51 employees worked to clear the lots and 2+ miles of sidewalks, half a mile of ramps and steps, and 15 trucks and numerous heavy-duty shovels and ice chippers. Two front-end loaders were rented to push the snow off the lots and to clear drains. The Bureau of Fleet Management worked 12-hour shifts to keep county trucks operating, fixing hydraulic lines and pumps, transmissions, rear axles, windshield wipers, and welds on plows.
The Office of Emergency Management continuously monitored conditions throughout the storm. The only major incident reported was a roof collapse at a barn in New
Because most businesses closed and residents stayed off the roads, the number of traffic accidents was kept to a minimum. Law enforcement agencies reported a total of 70 weather-related incidents through the duration of the storm, not counting in
Nice T-shirt
February 16th, 2007
H/t: CJ
An election campaign salute to NY Senator Hillary Clinton
CJ writes, “Where can I get one of these?”
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License Plate spotted in Key West 
February 14th, 2007
Top to bottom:
Ernest’s Café
Do Not Feed the Chickens
A friendly chicken near
A
Cayo Hueso Habana sign in
Sculpture in front of the old Custom’s House
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Eye for Art: Ruchlewicz an avid photographer
by Lyndi McNulty in The Advocate
February 7, 2007
http://westminsteradvocate.com/
07.FEB.07 Eye for Art: Ruchlewicz an avid photographer
Stan Ruchlewicz is the administrator of Economic Development for the City of
He said his first love is teaching and judging high school marching bands and drum and bugle corps.
Through traveling as a judge, he said he visited many interesting places.
“So, I took pictures,” Ruchlewicz said. “Back in the dark ages, I was using a small Instamatic. Eventually, I grew out of the Instamatic into a 35mm camera.”
In 1989, Ruchlewicz was hired in Havre de Grace as director of Planning. He was also appointed to the governor’s Save the Lighthouse Commission.
“Then, I really needed to get a good camera to take pictures since we toured the various Chesapeake Bay lighthouses on our annual visits,” he said,
Also at that time, Ruchlewicz began to take photographs of downtown buildings, streetscapes and events for promotional and reference materials for his job, he said.
Later, his financee, Pat Miller, converted him to go digital.
“Now, I can take hundreds of photographs at a time and not worry about printing costs since I can view the shots on the computer and choose to print only the best,” he said.
Ruchlewicz and his fiancee both take photos.
“I do the large scale photos, such as buildings, landscapes and event crowds, while she enjoys doing architectural details, like gargoyles and grotesques and individual people,” he said. “Grotesques are the funny little guys that are on old buildings but don’t put out rainwater like gargoyles do.”
Today, Ruchlewicz is still shooting buildings and street scenes along Main Streets, events in downtown
“A lot of the photos I take are of streetscape features such as signage, trash cans, benches, streetlights, window displays, storefronts and building facades,” Ruchlewicz said. “I use them as examples of how to improve local buildings and to give local store owners new ideas on how to improve their businesses.”
Casey Willson, retail industry manager for the Maryland Small Business Development Center, uses some of Ruchlewicz’s pictures for his presentations to small business owners around the state.
Ruchlewicz’s work is everywhere in town.
The postcards of downtown Westminster, such as the view of Main Street from the roof of the old fire house, the downtown mural, the McDaniel College entrance, City Hall and the train passing in front of Johannson’s are all his work.
The postcards are all copyrighted by the City of
Ruchlewicz’s photographs also appear in the
Additionally, his photos from the Corbit’s Charge event can be viewed on the Pipe Creek Civil War Round Table Web site at http://www.pccwrt.addr.com.
“The most utilized image of mine is of the old clock tower in
Ruchlewicz’s newest project is converting his photographs into digital art.
“For example, I take photos of
In the future, Ruchlewicz said he would like to put his photographs in an art show and perhaps sell some commercially.
And his travels continue.
“I plan to go to
— Lyndi McNulty owns Gizmos Art in
Art – Eye for Art by Lyndi McNulty in The Advocate
20070214 President Harry Truman and Gauging a presidential legacy
My Tentacle column for this week is up: Gauging A Presidential Legacy
Pictured to the left is the executive director of the Little White House Museum, in
February 14, 2007
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Recently political pundits have spent a great deal of effort pondering the legacy of President George W. Bush. Of course, those of us who consider ourselves to be students of history understand that history needs much more time and distance in order to accurately gauge the legacy and historical impact of any particular president.
Yet, uncannily, there are many parallels shared in the legacy of our 33rd president, Harry S Truman and President Bush, our 43rd president; and it is only understandable that the comparisons persist.
I took the opportunity Monday to tour President Truman's
After the tour I interviewed the executive director of the Little
Mr. Wolz says, with a certain "I told you so" confidence, that it is "remarkable that President Truman has gone from the least popular president of all time to the fifth most successful."
President Truman first arrived in
Read the rest here: Gauging A Presidential Legacy
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Florida Key West, President George W. Bush, President Harry S Truman, The Tentacle, History American Presidents
