Saturday, May 27, 2006
Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/
Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems - www.kevindayhoff.com Address: PO Box 124, Westminster MD 21158 410-259-6403 kevindayhoff@gmail.com Runner, writer, artist, fire & police chaplain Mindless ramblings of a runner, journalist & artist: Travel, art, artists, authors, books, newspapers, media, writers and writing, journalists and journalism, reporters and reporting, technology, music, culture, opera... National & International politics www.kevindayhoff.net For community: www.kevindayhoff.org For art, technology, writing, & travel: www.kevindayhoff.com
Proud Preakness needs overhaul (Fauquier Times-Democrat, VA)
An interesting commentary on Barbaro’s injury at the Preakness in Baltimore at the second leg of Triple Crown on Saturday, May 20th, 2006 and on race day, the track facilities and Pimlico; by someone who seems to know a little about horses and horseracing.
Hat Tip: Maryland Department of Agriculture News Clippings
Proud Preakness needs overhaul (Fauquier Times-Democrat, VA)
By Jackie Burke - an author based near Orlean.
05/23/2006
Proud Preakness needs overhaul
Staff
Mede Cahaba Stable owner Mignon Smith was so inspired by Barbaro’s Kentucky Derby win that she ordered tickets and a bus so that 44 friends could attend the Preakness Stakes with her this past Saturday.
For a number of years I was employed by the Washington, D.C.-based Mede Cahaba, a large multi-state racing and breeding business, and before that I learned to post as one of Smith’s riding students at the original Mede Cahaba stable in my native
So I was offered two tickets to the big event and in turn I invited friend and new neighbor Julia Thieriot. As we boarded the bus Saturday, a perfect spring morning, I promised Julia a memorable time.
The bus rumbled north, carrying a congenial group with a general air of electric anticipation that only an event such as the Preakness Stakes can generate. Had I realized what a memorable and horrific day lay before us, I would have stayed in bed.
Read the rest of the story here: Proud Preakness needs overhaul (Fauquier Times-Democrat, VA)
Another story about electric cars. This one is from the Frederick News-Post.
If I am not mistaken, the Frederick News-Post uses permalinks, so I won’t paste below the entire story. If you are accessing this at a later date and the link does not work – e-mail me and I’ll send ya the entire story.
The attached photo belongs to Photo by Skip Lawrence. It was captioned in the article as: “Paul Garvison's Neighborhood Electric Vehicle can reach speeds of 30 mph and last about 15 miles before it must be recharged.”
With gas prices skyrocketing, one local driver has found a way to save a few dollars by riding a current trend
By Bridgette Harwood
News-Post Staff
Mr. Garvison owns a battery powered Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, which can reach speeds of 30 mph and lasts about 15 miles before it needs to be recharged. The car, white with a checkered stripe on the side, has four seats, but its narrow width allows for only one windshield wiper.
Known as IT, for Innovative Transportation, the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle is made by Dynasty Electric Car Corp. of
"It is perfect for around town use," Mr. Garvison said.
According to the Electric Auto Association, as many as 10,000 full sized electric cars are on
Read the rest of the story here: It's electric
The carnival season for the season kicks off for the summer with the Gamber and Union Bridge firefighters’ annual event and the St. John Catholic Church carnival. (The hyperlinks should take you to each carnival’s Web-page.)
Carrie Ann Knauer with the Carroll County Times has the story in the Saturday, May 27th, 2006 edition of the Carroll County Times.
The Carroll County Times does not use permalinks – please find their entire article pasted below:
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Carnival season to begin early
By Carrie Ann Knauer, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, May 27, 2006
The
Carnivals are a major fundraising source for
Gamber's carnival has traditionally started on Memorial Day, but it has seemed like every year it got rained out one or two nights, he said. So when the carnival company told them this winter that they didn't have any bookings the week before Memorial Day, both parties agreed it would be a good idea to start the carnival on a Saturday this year. They hope the two extra days will be a buffer for any rained-out nights, Myers said.
While offering the two extra nights didn't cost the fire company any extra money up front, it has been more difficult to get volunteers to work the two extra days, he said.
"Carnival week is really hard for everyone," Myers said. "We're just keeping our fingers crossed for eight nights of [great] weather."
One small change for Sunday at the carnival is that there will be no gambling or games of chance, such as bingo or the gun jar, as is required by county law, Myers said. The fire company will still be able to sell raffle tickets, since the drawing won't be until the following Saturday, he said, and all of the carnival games, such as darts and basketball toss, will be carried on.
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Along with the Gamber and Community fire company carnival, the
Dave Buffington, fire carnival chairman, said the fire company enjoys having the carnival start on Memorial Day. Many of the town residents attend the Memorial Day service organized by the Union Bridge VFW, which will be held at 6 p.m. Monday, and then come to the carnival for dinner, Buffington said.
"It kind of works hand in hand," Buffington said. "Memorial Day is always a big event."
What makes the
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Scott said the theme of this year's carnival will be "A Christian Family Tradition." The church has a congregation of about 14,000 people, she said, so many of the members don't get to meet at the usual church events. The carnival, however, was an opportunity for all different sectors of the church to meet and interact, Scott said.
"We had lots of young families," Scott said, and will try to offer even more games for the very young children who come to the carnival.
Even in its first year, the carnival quickly became one of the biggest fundraisers for the church, Scott said. The money raised from the carnival will go toward the school and youth ministries, she said.
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If you go:
Gamber Carnival Schedule
n Today: Entertainment by Iron Ridge (bluegrass)
n Sunday: Entertainment by Bob Plunkert and Real Country
n Monday: Fireworks at night, entertainment by Ten Cent Penny Band (classic country rock)
n Tuesday: Entertainment by Salem Bottom Boys (bluegrass)
n Wednesday: Entertainment by Big Cam and the Lifters (oldies)
n Thursday: Entertainment by Just Plain Country
n Friday: Entertainment by C.B. Pickers (bluegrass)
n June 3: Raffle drawings, entertainment by Poison Whiskey (good ol' classic southern rock)
Carnival opens 6 p.m. nightly, special ride prices on Tuesday and Thursday.
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St. John Carnival Schedule
n Monday: Noon to 5 p.m. matinee rides after the Memorial Day Parade
n Tuesday: 6 to 10 p.m., entertainment by Big Cam & the Lifters
n Wednesday: 6 to 10 p.m., entertainment by Full Gospel Boogie Band
n Thursday: 6 to 10 p.m., Karaoke Night, "Your Idol Time"
n Friday: 6 to 11 p.m., entertainment by Satyr Hill Band
n Saturday: Matinee rides from noon to 4 p.m., entertainment by Aces Up
Discount tickets available in advance at St. John School; call 410-848-4744.
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n Monday: 6 p.m. Memorial Day Service at
n Tuesday: Special Ride Night from 7 to 10 p.m., entertainment by Tall in the Saddle (country variety)
n Wednesday: Fireman's Parade at 7 p.m.
n Thursday: Special Ride Night from 7 to 10 p.m., entertainment by Bob Plunkert and Real Country
n Friday: Entertainment by No Alibi (country rock)
n Saturday: Raffle drawings, entertainment by No Xit Band (rock)
Lunches served 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday to Friday. Dinner platters served 4 to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
This series of photos, just in time for Memorial Day, was e-mailed me by my Tentacle editor, John Ashbury.
“… there is a huge rock near a gravel pit on Hwy.25 in rural
A few months back, the rock received its latest paint job, and since then it has been left completely undisturbed. It's quite an impressive sight. Be sure to scroll down and check out the multiple photos (all angles) of the rock. I thought the flag was draped over the rock, but it's not. It's actually painted on the rock too.”
The bottom picture is attributed to be “the artist Ray "Bubba" Sorensen.”
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This is interesting. This just in from an:
Article published May 23, 2006 in the
OC eyes use of electric mini-cars
By Jay Hodgkins, Staff Writer
OCEAN CITY -- Presenters for a 100 percent electric, zero emission, lightweight DaimlerChrysler vehicle showed up at last week's Police Commission meeting, and Mayor Jim Mathias' eyes lit up.
After Mathias took the doorless four-seat Global Electric Motorcar -- a vehicle that passes all federal safety regulations to be driven on roads 35 mph and less -- for a spin with Town Councilmen Jay Hancock and Jim Hall, he brimmed at the possible uses for the town.
"It's timely in nature because of all the gas price problems and energy rates. It really does fit in, and it's something for the future of this town," Mathias said. "I hope (City Manager Dennis Dare) can look at it."
CleanCities.com President Luis MacDonald and Daniel MacDonald presented options of the vehicle that ranged from two-seat to six-seat models that had a range of 35 to 40 miles, could be recharged in a regular outlet at home within a few hours and could carry a 1,200 pound payload in the back bed area.
The vehicle was recently approved for use on
For
Police commission members, however, discussed a much wider range of uses from hotels renting the vehicles to vacationers to use by the police force around the Boardwalk or use by town officials and maintenance people.
Police were not as excited about the GEMs, however, as Ofc. Hugh Bean cited safety issues because of the light vehicle weight, people driving the vehicle on high-speed roads and a likelihood operators wouldn't use their seat belts in the golf cart-like vehicles.
"Trying to get people to understand what they can and can't do would be an insurmountable feat, and we'd be the bad guys for busting people," Bean said.
Chief Bernadette DiPino also said she saw too much trouble to support wide commercial use of the vehicles or town use, but admitted the vehicles were legal and anyone could purchase and drive the $8,000-to-$12,000 vehicles provided they follow the rules.
Looking for a wider vision for the vehicles, Mathias told police, "I hope as we pursue this we can pursue it with a can-do attitude and not a can't-do attitude."
"I'm not advocating we do this overnight," he said, "but paying attention to where the world is going, this is somewhere we want to go."
About the cars
The Maryland General Assembly recently approved their use in the state. Similar vehicles are already used by the city of
Reach Jay Hodgkins at 410-213-9442 or jhodgkins@smgpo.gannett.com.
TOP 50 CONSERVATIVE SONGS
What a fun weekend quick read. Hat tip: Michelle Malkin calls our attention to a column by John J. Miller of the National Review Online in which he lists the top fifty all time best conservative rock songs.
TOP 50 CONSERVATIVE SONGS
By Michelle Malkin · May 26, 2006 09:21 AM
John Mellencamp? Sammy Hagar? Kid Rock? The Who? Yup, they're all on National Review's list.
Take a look--and bring your iPod.
_________________
The 50 greatest conservative rock songs.
May 26, 2006, 6:59 a.m.
Rockin' the Right
By John J. Miller
EDITOR’S NOTE: This week on NRO, we’ve been rolling out the first five and now all 50 songs from a list John J. Miller compiled that appears in the June 5 issue of National Review . Here’s a look at #1 and get the whole list—complete with purchasing links—here.
On first glance, rock ’n’ roll music isn’t very conservative. It doesn’t fare much better on second or third glance (or listen), either. Neil Young has a new song called “Let’s Impeach the President.” Last year, the Rolling Stones made news with “Sweet Neo Con,” another anti-Bush ditty. For conservatives who enjoy rock, it isn’t hard to agree with the opinion Johnny Cash expressed in “The One on the Right Is on the Left”: “Don’t go mixin’ politics with the folk songs of our land / Just work on harmony and diction / Play your banjo well / And if you have political convictions, keep them to yourself.” In other words: Shut up and sing.
But some rock songs really are conservative — and there are more of them than you might think. Last year, I asked readers of National Review Online to nominate conservative rock songs. Hundreds of suggestions poured in. I’ve sifted through them all, downloaded scores of mp3s, and puzzled over a lot of lyrics. What follows is a list of the 50 greatest conservative rock songs of all time, as determined by me and a few others. The result is of course arbitrary, though we did apply a handful of criteria.
What makes a great conservative rock song? The lyrics must convey a conservative idea or sentiment, such as skepticism of government or support for traditional values. And, to be sure, it must be a great rock song. We’re biased in favor of songs that are already popular, but have tossed in a few little-known gems. In several cases, the musicians are outspoken liberals. Others are notorious libertines. For the purposes of this list, however, we don’t hold any of this against them. Finally, it would have been easy to include half a dozen songs by both the Kinks and Rush, but we’ve made an effort to cast a wide net. Who ever said diversity isn’t a conservative principle?
So here are NR’s top 50 conservative rock songs of all time. Go ahead and quibble with the rankings, complain about what we put on, and send us outraged letters and e-mails about what we left off. In the end, though, we hope you’ll admit that it’s a pretty cool playlist for your iPod.
Thursday, May 25th, 2006
Thursday evening was the occasion of the Westminster Fire Department’s Big Money raffle. This is the major fund raising event of the year for the Fire Department.
“In 1840 the citizens petitioned the legislature to pass an act enabling them to hold a lottery to raise $5,000 to purchase a new fire engine, build a new engine-house, town hall and market-house, but nothing came of it.”
Kevin Dayhoff writes from
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Recently Ralph Green, the Director of General Services for
Apparently the ramp and rear entrance are going to be completely replaced?
The e-mail brought back memories as I worked on the
The picture attached to this post was taken by me on January 8th, 1974. I worked on the
Somewhere, I have a bunch of pictures from when I worked on the building – and I have a history of the building written-up. Sometime in my spare time, I’d like to dig those pictures and that information out…
Oh – are you aware that the
As a matter of fact, as I wrote in my January 25th, 2006 Westminster Eagle column, “Days of swine and ice cream greeted 20th century Westminster:”
Mrs. S. LaRue Crowl recently wrote to share with me that her grandfather, J. David Crowl, "owned and operated an ice cream factory on
"I don't know the exact dates of operation," she said, "but am assuming it was somewhere from 1910 through the 1920s.
"He died in 1931. My father, Ernest Crowl, would often tell how, as a boy, on Sundays he would deliver a half gallon of ice cream to the homes on Willis Street for a quarter."
Folks may be surprised to know – at least as I understand it - that
I was not quite one year old when Rte 140 was dedicated, although I remember “
Center Street only went to
At the stream, there was a wooden bridge that allowed access to
Now, does anyone remember the name of the gas station at the corner of
Meanwhile I’ll paste the rest of Mr. Green’s e-mail below, for those who need to visit the office building in the next several weeks.
“
The temporary public entrance effective Tuesday, May 30th and during the construction time will be at the lower level at the Public Hearing Room 003/004. Handicap access as well as parking will be designated and signs will be posted for directional purposes. Public parking will also be designated in that area.
Employees with access cards can continue to use all other entrances to enter the building.
The bailiffs will relocate to the lower level entrance and will direct visitors to other areas of the building via the public elevators. Anyone not sure of where they are going or the bailiffs don't know which office to send them to will be directed to the public information desk on the first floor via the public
The existing public parking area can be used by staff during this time so our customers can park and access the temporary entrance to conduct business.
The areas the contractor will be working in and staging materials in will be taped off to accommodate construction needs. Parking is permitted in any area not taped off and can be used by staff as well as visitors to the building. Remember to park in designated parking spaces only so construction equipment and deliveries can access the aisles of the parking lot.
Facilities will be taping off areas and installing temporary directional signs, handicap parking signs, etc., tomorrow afternoon, Friday, May 26th, in preparation for the construction to begin on Tuesday when you return to work from the Memorial Day
Any changes, as well as more information, will be communicated via e-mail to everyone by Tom Rio, Bureau of Building Construction.
I appreciate your cooperation and we will make this inconvenience as short as possible.
Thank you!
Posted above is an undated picture, from my collection, of the intersection of Willis and
~ I took a number of photos of the day, which I hope to get posted soon…
May 20th, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff
On Saturday, May 20th, 2006, the usually quiet
What is now known as
The land on which the home was built, and referred to as "Emerald Hill" was Colonel Longwell's home. It was purchased from trustees of the Estate of David Fisher, and was a part of the entire tract, which now comprises
When the home was completed, Colonel Longwell called it his "Mansion House," and it was considered one of the finest in the county. A plat of this area surveyed in 1907, referred to it as "Longwell's Addition to
Following the death of Colonel Longwell in 1896, the family continued to occupy the mansion until the death of his daughter, Sallie. Col. Longwell’s wife, Mrs. Sarah Longwell had preceded her daughter’s death.
At this time, in 1907, a portion of the property was developed into what we now know as
With the generous cooperation of the Westminster Police Department and the Westminster Street Department, the street was closed from 8 AM through 1 PM to vehicular traffic for a
According to one of the
Apparently, a tag sale is an upscale yard sale.
Whatever one would like to refer to the event, by all reports the day was a huge success.
Various neighbors had different accounts as to why the day was such a great success except everyone said they enjoyed getting out on a pretty spring day and getting to see friends and neighbors after a long winter.
Also mentioned was getting the house cleaned out and most of all, everyone enjoyed raising money for a local community charity.
It was agreed by all the neighbors that they would donate a percentage of the proceeds to Shepherd’s Staff - A Christian Outreach and Support Center Serving the Needy in Carroll County. In the end, almost everyone donated extra beyond the percentage and even some visitors donated money specifically for Shepard’s Staff. Over $400.00 was raised.
Ms. Vandervalk worked in concert with a number of neighbors to organize the tag sale. Neighbors such as Sue Thomas, Nicky Smelser, Chris Fisher, Doris Wisner, Peggy Bair, Madeleine Miller, Joyce Myers, Jean Pacardi and Bonnie Bosley all served on “The Planning Committee.”
Ms Vandervalk said that she was “surprised to have as many visitors ask if this is going to be an annual event.”
Her response was “if there is a lot of interest and we can find a date, I have all the notes, work materials and hopefully it would be easy to do it again.”
The neighborhood sale was a great deal of work. But no one seemed to be complaining. “Everyone has a good time… It was well worth the effort,” said Ms. Vandervalk. “Neighborhoods are full of special people…”
Sue Thomas, one of the organizers of the event, “enjoyed the day.”
“It’s a great neighborhood” and the tag sale was a “nice neighborhood thing to do.” Mrs. Thomas gave most of her proceeds for the day to Shepherd’s Staff.
The
It was “no problem” working with the city to get approval for closing down the street for the day. Westminster Police Officers Tony Ott and Captain Randy Barnes handled most of the coordination.
The police and street department “were very customer service oriented, cooperative and helpful,” praised Ms. Vandervalk.
The day of the event, Lt. Ott showed up at 7 AM to get preparations underway. He promptly offered $1.50 for my farm truck that was used for ferrying tables and supplies for the event.
From antiques to boutiques were sold at the sale. Good used furniture, fine used clothing, stained glass, purses, sporting and gardening equipment, pots and pans and a “Blue’s Clues Thinking Chair.” (Hint: “Blue’s Clues for Parents” is a show on the “Nickelodeon Jr.” television network.)
Apparently folks were “fighting over” the thinking chair, according to Ms. Madeleine Miller, who was also quite happy that she was able to sell a “Jason” hockey costume mask.
At which point, Ms. Vandervalk remarked that “what is one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”
Jeff Smelser, who, according to rumor, gave up playing golf “for the first time in 43 years,” so that he could attend the sale, was happy that he sold a pair of “vintage 1962 ‘212’ Head racing snow skis.”
He claimed that he was his wife’s “runner,” dutifully responding to ‘Do this,” and “Do that.”
Smart man.
In between assigned tasks, he was happy to get some yard maintenance accomplished during the sale.
Nicky Smelser “sold designer clothing and jewelry.” She was happy to spend time with so many visitors and neighbors and even happened across some of her “1965 classmates from
Madeleine Miller was amazed that bargain hunters arrived at 7 a.m. Some came all the way from
Neighbors noted that Ms. Miller even “gift wrapped” many of her sales and even offered “packing service.”
Mrs. Vandervalk sold some pieces of furniture that had been in the family for several generations.
These folks were serious about having a yard sale – err, tag sale.
Ms. Miller said the event “brought back nostalgic memories.” She was "happy to see items go to a good home.”
It was beautiful day and everyone was so nice, several neighbors exclaimed.
It is events and neighborhoods like
Hat’s off to
Kevin Dayhoff writes from
E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
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Tonight, May 25, 2006 is the annual Westminster Fire Engine and Hose Co. #1 Big Money Raffle. Posted are pictures from last year’s event. This is usually a sold out event – to make plans to attend the 2007 event, contact a member of the Westminster Fire Department.
Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/
May 21st, 2006
Over 100 motorcyclists turned out for a beautiful ride through four covered bridges and parts of
Back in
There was plenty of pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers and cake to go around complimenting the smiles of friends who gathered to honor a
Jeff’s sister-in-law, Jalna Brown helped organize the day. If you would like more information about The NightTrain Foundation, contact Jalna Brown at Dutterer Florist at (410) 848-9350.
If you would like to make a contribution to the NightTrain Foundation, you can get in touch with either Ms. Brown or contact the Community Foundation of Carroll County at (410) 876-5505.
Kevin Dayhoff writes from
E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
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Flower and Jazz Festival pics and posts
Folks have been asking where the Flower and Jazz Festival pictures are posted.
They can be found at:
http://www.kevindayhoff.com/2006/05/20060516-kddc-wster-flower-and-jazz.html
or use this link:
A write-up on the Flower and Jazz Festival has also been posted on the Winchester Report on The Westminster Eagle Web-site.
Or use this link:
Hat Tip: Mr. Smurf. Thanks
“
May 24 -
Dog Star Brewing Company makes a specialty beer for dogs. Located in the heart of
In addition to being sold online, grocers are stocking the canine beverage on shelves in their pet section.
FEATURED SPEAKER: Jamie Miller, Founder of Dog Star Brewing Company
© Reuters 2006. All rights reserved.
The
May 23, 2006
BALTIMORE - A prevailing majority of representatives of “we the people” in
The 2006 Wal-Mart legislation, that forces a single company to provide health care benefits is a case in point. The vast majority of people in the state and the country without health insurance work for small businesses — not the target of the bill. The law forces companies with 10,000 or more employees in the state (Wal-Mart is the only one) to pay at least 8 percent of their payroll toward health benefits.
Behaving that way means one thing — fewer jobs other than the ones fueled by taxes. Don’t you think large companies will have an incentive to move elsewhere once they near the 10,000 employee mark? Or choose elsewhere if they are planning a move to the East Coast?
And it shows that the legislature was more intent on punishing a single company than finding a way to insure more people in the state. Unfortunately, it’s not an isolated incident.
A review of some of their decisions on our behalf:
In 1999 legislators capped electricity prices at Baltimore Gas & Electric Co. for six years at prices 6.5 percent below 1993 rates, squashing electricity competition (who would compete for below market rates?) and paving the way for the looming 72 percent rate hikes.
Legislators are mulling whether to call a special session to reconsider the rate hike and the planned merger of BGE’s parent company, Constellation Energy, with FPL Group — a clear signal once again that business exists at the pleasure of the legislature.
» In December 2004, Gov. Ehrlich called the General Assembly into a special session to take “immediate action ... to ensure the costs of medical malpractice insurance are curtailed and that access to health care is maintained.”
Liability reform is the American Medical Association’s top legislative priority because “
The General Assembly’s response:
» In January, the General Assembly passed legislation raising the minimum wage $1 to $6.15 per hour. In rich sections of the state where jobs are in short supply, this legislation will do nothing. In poorer sections it will decrease demand for jobs because for some businesses $1 an hour will make the difference between being able to hire someone or not.
Jim Brady, the Secretary of Business and Economic Development under Gov. Glendening, says he does not think that legislators purposely try to be anti-business. “It’s not a cabal, I just don’t think they think through the ramifications of what they do,” he said.
We wish they would.
Don’t you?
To prevent future Wal-Mart, et al laws, the business community must actively recruit candidates who understand economics and withhold support from those who don’t. We don’t need any more lemmings in the General Assembly taking us over an economic cliff.
Examiner
How Dems Store Their Bribes
A photoshop that I wish I had done.
You can do whatever you wish with the information, I liked the photoshop art.
Nevertheless.
Does the word, “schadenfreude” come to mind?
Hat tip: Michelle Malkin
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HOW DEMS STORE THEIR BRIBES
By Michelle Malkin · May 23, 2006 10:39 PM
Hot Air affiliate Flip Pidot of Suitably Flip, inspired by the Rep. William Jefferson case, has the photoshop of the day:
http://suitablyflip.blogs.com/suitably_flip/2006/05/a_pictures_wort.html
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Meanwhile, Roger L. Simon notes Newt Gingrich's tin ear. Denny Hastert's got it, too. Glenn Reynolds has more.
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