20060701 KDDC June 11 2006 Sen. Brinkley event

Two other pictures from the Senator Brinkley event. Top is Senator David Brinkley, R, Dist. 5, Carroll and Frederick Cos. Bottom is Delegate Richard Weldon, R, Dist. 3B, Frederick and Washington Cos.
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20060701 KDDC USS Wizbang Monitor Class Destroyer

Bubbleheads vs. Skimmers
July 1st, 2006

I thoroughly enjoyed the Wizbang post, "For Navy geeks only," about the "Navy's next-generation destroyer project, known over the last few years as DD-21 (21st-century destroyer), DDX (experimental destroyer), and currently DDG-1000..." He was able to obtain an obsolete artist's rendering, which is posted above.

For more informaton on the "Next-Generation Zumwalt Destroyer," go here.

I served in the jarhead reserves, but my Dad served in the Navy, in the Pacific on flattops during WWII. I was amused with the comments in the comment section. Be sure to see Wizbang's post and be double sure to read the comments.

As for the artist's rendering, I kinda thought it looked like the CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack,) myself. You can find additional information here.

For the commenter that mentioned a "Monitor Class" warship, please see here for more information. That was right on the money. The USS Monitor was the first and that class continued until 1937.

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20060701 A Deadline I Can Make

A Deadline I Can Make

Hat Tip: Grammy

This post is for all my editors...

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20060701 KDDC A Deadline I Can Make

A Deadline I Can Make

Hat Tip: Grammy

This post is for all my editors...

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20060630 KDDC Spin, slander, distort and repeat

Spin, slander, distort and repeat

In case you missed it, The Washington Times really took the gloves off over the hatchet job that Washington Post reporter Matthew Mosk, [that’s him → depicted as this week’s winner in the Democratic main stream media mouthpiece award: “June 30, 2006 DMSM Bias Mouthpiece winner Mosk” (© Kevin Dayhoff, June 30, 2006)] who editorialized in a particularly offensive piece last Monday, June 26th, 2006 entitled:

"Steele's Donor List Stirs Racial Questions"

Those Who Offended Blacks Contribute

By Matthew Mosk, Washington Post Staff Writer, Monday, June 26, 2006; Page B01

________________

Hang Right Politics has something to say about this in a post entitled, "Racist Press Target Black Republicans" - see here.

_________________

For those of us with the "1s and 0s." we were happy to have those with the "barrels of ink" join in the fray. But many key questions remain, including, but certainly not limited to, why would the Washington Post stoop so low as to allow such a blatantly bias and agenda driven article appear in the paper? Is Mr. Mosk going to review the campaign contributors of candidate Mr. Ben Cardin or Mr. Kweisi Mfume?

On April 17, 2006, Maryland Republican Party Chairman John M. Kane raised an interesting point:

“Ben Cardin has some explaining to do. Maryland voters deserve to know how he has managed to take more than $4.2 million from special interests while representing just one district in Maryland, topping Senator Sarbanes who has had to campaign several times statewide. More than that, Cardin needs to explain to Marylanders what his connections to some of these groups say about his own beliefs and how they could influence him in the United States Senate.”

Cardin Has Received $42,500 From The Association Of Trial Lawyers Of America (ATLA). (Federal Election Commission Website, www.fec.gov, April 7, 2006)

Cardin Has Received Over $830,000 From Big Labor Special Interest PACs. (Political Money Line Website, www.tray.com, Accessed April 7, 2006)

It would seem that Mr. Mosk wrote his article with the the March 27 confidential report prepared for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee by a top National Democratic Party strategist - Cornell Belcher - and paid for by the Democratic National Party - - at his side, for a template and guide.

Please review my posts; "20060419 Dems Smear Politics in Maryland" and

"20060417 Maryland Dems Smear Steele At Their Peril"

Read what Gregory Kane said here, and what the New York Post and the New York Sun have recently said…

Meanwhile, I have pasted the Washington Times Editorial here. Hats off to the Washington Times!

Democrats and name-calling

Washington Times Editorial

TODAY'S EDITORIAL
June 30, 2006

The Democratic strategy against black Republicans is easy enough to understand: Call them sellouts; label them dupes of the racist Republican machine; link them to as many white conservatives as possible; and repeat. Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele is no stranger to this program ever since the Baltimore Sun editorialized that the only thing he brought to the gubernatorial ticket of Robert Ehrlich was "the color of his skin." Now, with Mr. Steele's Senate campaign scaring the wits out of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, The Washington Post saw reason to run a tidy little hit piece Monday headlined "Steele's Donor List Stirs Racial Questions."

With such an ominous sounding headline, you might think Mr. Steele accepted a donation from a known Klansman or skinhead. Alas, reporter Matthew Mosk digs so deep into the Federal Election Commission campaign finance reports -- available online to everyone -- he uncovers the astounding news that Mr. Steele has taken donations from Republicans. Adding insult to injury, they were white. It turns out that one of the donors, Floyd Brown, who produced the now-infamous "Willie Horton" ad in the 1988 presidential campaign, actually held a June 22 fundraiser for Mr. Steele.

Mr. Mosk doesn't enlighten his readers about what the "Willie Horton" ad was, but he writes that "it came to symbolize the cynical use of skin color as a political wedge." That's one way of putting it. Another, more accurate way is that the ad exposed the dangerous Massachusetts furlough program for felons that became a campaign issue between Vice President George H.W. Bush and Mass. Gov. Michael Dukakis.

The Bush campaign attacked Mr. Dukakis' support of the program, as Democratic candidates had similarly done during the primaries. Willie Horton, serving life in prison for murder, raped a woman while released on furlough. Mr. Brown produced an attack ad, featuring Horton as a poster child for the furlough policy. But because Horton is black, Democrats accused Republicans of using race as a wedge issue.

Eighteen years later, Mr. Mosk regurgitates the race angle without any of the above history. The article also slanders radio host William J. Bennett, who, Mr. Mosk tells readers, suggested "aborting black babies would help reduce crime." That's a complete distortion of Mr. Bennett's comments, which were actually meant to show the absurdity of a pro-choice argument, advanced by some liberals, that abortion helps reduce crime. The Post also names former first lady Barbara Bush, a Steele supporter, as another member of "Racists for Steele."

Such an article would never have been written were Mr. Steele a white Democrat. But there's a racially tinged strategy at work here: Spin, slander, distort and repeat.

Hat Tip: MS and Chairman DJ Thanks

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20060628 KDDC Two alarm fire at Westminster auto dealership

Pictures (c) Kevin Dayhoff and Westminster Fire Department

Two alarm fire at Westminster auto dealership

Wednesday evening, June 28^th, 2006

Len Stoler Auto Dealership, 343 Baltimore Boulevard (corner of Center Street and Rte. 140) (Box 0301) in Westminster.

For additional information contact:

Incident Commander: Westminster Fire Department Lieutenant

Bill Brehm; or Public Information Officer: Westminster Firefighter Kevin Utz at the Westminster Fire Department

_________________

Westminster, MD - Over 70 firefighters and public safety personnel responded Wednesday evening to a two alarm fire at the Len Stoler automobile dealership at 343 Baltimore Boulevard in Westminster.

According to Westminster Fire Department (WFD) public information officer (PIO),) Kevin Utz, the first call went out at 8:51 PM. Within a minute of Westminster Fire Department engine 32 arriving on the scene at 8:56 PM, Westminster Fire Department Lieutenant Bill Brehm, the incident commander, called in a second alarm.

Among the seventy public safety personnel who responded, twenty-five firefighters from Westminster responded to what was initially dispatched as a truck fire in the building. When firefighters arrived, they found a working vehicle fire in the auto dealership’s shop in a rear building.

Several teams of firefighters were necessary to fight the fire from the inside of the building, the back of the building, from the roof and the showroom approach. One team was assigned to maintain water supply. Additionally, safety, EMS and rehabilitation personnel were required.

Except for a minor case of heat exhaustion and a few scrapes, no firefighters were seriously injured. One person was treated on the scene for unknown injuries, immediately upon the arrival of the first responders to the incident. It was not known as to whether the person injured on the scene, was an employee of auto dealership.

As the evening wore on, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, police officers from thirteen agencies responded. Seven fire companies, including Westminster - Engines 32 and 33, Tower 3, Utility 3, Special Unity 3, Medic Units 39 and 37, and Brush 35; Pleasant Valley – Engines 61 and 63, Squad 6; Reese – Engines 91, 92 and 95, Medic 99, and Rescue 9, New Windsor – Engine 102 and Rescue Engine 101, Lineboro Air Unit 7; Mount Airy Duty 1 (Incident Safety Officer,) and Hampstead Truck 2; all sent a total of twenty-one fire fighting apparatuses to the fire.

Also responding was Maryland State Police, Carroll County Sheriff’s Deputies and Westminster Police Department officers. Traffic at on Center Street was closed off until midnight, although traffic on Rte. 140 was not affected.

The WFD “Canteen Unit” provided bottled water and Gatorade to help relieve firefighters throughout the warm and humid evening.

Baltimore Gas and Electric, the Maryland Department of the Environment Hazmat Response Team and the Maryland State Fire Marshall’s Office also were on location.

According WFD Lt. Brehm, “the incident is under investigation by the Maryland State Fire Marshall’s office.” The fire was under control within twenty minutes, said, Lt. Brehm. However, firefighters remained on the scene until midnight looking for extensions of the fire, smoke removal, safety review and clean-up – or what Lt. Brehm referred to as “extensive overhaul.”

About seventy-five bystanders gathered on the parking lot of the Seven-Eleven as the evening progressed.

Neither WFD Lt. Brehm or PIO Utz were able to place a figure on the amount of the property damage.

Soon after the fire erupted, employees and officials from the Len Stoler organization convened on the scene. Barry Stoler, vice-president of Len Stoler, was quick to praise the Carroll County firefighters who fought the blaze. “The fact is, that the fire departments were so attentive and responsive,” is why the fire was not worse than it was, remarked Mr. Stoler. “It is an old building... built in 1959. They saved the building. Their efforts made the difference.”

Mr. Stoler said that there was “no way to calculate the amount of the damage at this point in time,” as he was interviewed towards the end of the evening.

The Len Stoler organization purchased the dealership in 1997 said Dave Leibowitz, the Chief Financial Officer for the company. Operations manager Denver Huffman said that the dealership employs 65 at the Westminster auto facility.

Mr. Stoler remarked that (as a result of the quick actions by the firefighters) he “expected a minimum disruption to our operation” and “we’ll be open at 7 AM the next morning. Clean up crews and estimators will be on the site at 5 AM,” to get the business re-opened.

Mr. Stoler was also quick to praise his Carroll County employees as even he was “impressed by the number of employees from this dealership and others who arrived to help.” As a result, they were able to have a company meeting in the parking lot and arrive at working plan to address the results of the fire, beginning the very next morning.

As the firefighters were packing up fire hoses and equipment, Mr. Stoler was overheard to say that the response, efficiency and caring attitude of Carroll Countians is why his company has looked forward to expanding the dealership and bringing more business to Carroll County.

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20060628 KDDC Bring Back the Sun

"Bring Back the Sun"
(c) Kevin Dayhoff
June 28th, 2006

20060628 KDDC Isrealis Move on Gaza to Rescue Soldier

The Israeli army faces off with Palestinian militants in Gaza over the fate of 2 kidnapped Israelis.
June 28th, 2006

I pulled thia picture off CNN this morning. The caption reads: "Masked Hamas militants demonstrate Tuesday in support of the Hamas-led government in the West Bank city of Nablus."

Check out the background in the picture. It seemed a little sureal.

Israeli forces attack power station, bridges in Gaza

"Israeli troops and armored vehicles crossed into southern Gaza in what the Israeli military says is an attempt to rescue a soldier kidnapped by Palestinian militants. Israeli warplanes bombed bridges and a power station. Also, a militant group believed to be involved in the soldier's kidnapping, displayed the ID card of a Jewish settler the group says it kidnapped in the West Bank."

To read the rest of the story click "Militants threaten Israelis amid raids" Wednesday, June 28, 2006; Posted: 8:19 a.m. EDT (12:19 GMT). "JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Palestinian militants involved in the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier in southern Israel said on Wednesday they had also abducted a Jewish settler in the West Bank."

I'll bet the Isrealis sure are glad that the New York Times was not aware of their troop maneuvers and plans.

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20060628 KDDC KAL show at the Walters

Mightier than the Sword
June 28th, 2006

I've always enjoyed the art of KAL (Kevin “KAL” Kallaugher.) He began his 17 year tenure as a political cartoonist at the Baltimore Sun on Dec. 7, 1988, and his last cartoon appeared in the paper on Jan. 15, 2006.

The Walters Art Museum has a show of over 200 of his cartoons beginning on June 18, 2006. The show continues until September 3, 2006. The exhibition hours are 10 AM to 5 PM, Wednesday through Sunday.

Tomorrow I am looking forward to seeing the show with Grammy, my wife Caroline and the Westminster Woman's Club and I can't wait.

The web site for the Walters says:

"World-renowned political cartoonist Kevin “KAL” Kallaugher has entertained and oftentimes enraged readers of the Baltimore Sun and The Economist for decades. This summer KAL brings his satirical drawings to the Walters Art Museum with the special exhibition, Mightier than the Sword: The Satirical Pen of KAL. Cartoons focusing on local, national, and international politics will be on view along with sculpture, animation, and an interactive gallery for kids. Mightier than the Sword now on view!"

Read more of the Walters Art Museum introduction to the show here.

The Baltimore City Paper has an article, by John Barry, about the show here. It is titled: "Powers of Pen" - "Political Cartoonist Kevin "KAL" Kallaugher Pushes His 19th Century Medium Into the 21st"

The introductory paragraph of the article reads:

"For someone who’s just lost his day job, editorial cartoonist Kevin Kallaugher—better known simply as KAL—isn’t doing at all badly. Snappily dressed in a cherry-red vest, the avuncular ex-Sun cartoonist is cheerfully shepherding reporters and admirers through a preview of Mightier Than the Sword: The Satirical Pen of KAL, his lifetime retrospective at the Walters Art Museum. Youthful at 51, white-haired, and with a thick mustache, he flourishes in the spotlight. He also has the sparkle in his eyes of someone who might be sizing you up—or at least deciding how big your ears are—while shaking your hand. And after his 17 years as a prize-winning cartoonist at The Sun, he’s got a lot of admirers."

Read the rest of the Baltimore City Paper article here.

To give you an idea of what his work is like, I have pasted an image of one of KAL's cartoons is above. I assume that the image belongs to KAL. I got the image from the Walter's web site here.

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