20040829 MD Gov Bob Ehrlich at MD State Fair

Maryland Governor spends the day at the Maryland State Fair

Sunday, August 29, 2004

A picture of Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, who spent the day with his family at the Maryland State Fair Sunday on August 29, 2004. The other pictures are a few general scenes from a day at the fair…

Kevin Dayhoff

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20040813 Rabid Rebeccably Numb

Rabid Rebeccably Numb

- Going Rebecca -

August 13th, 2004

Did you feel for the Westminster Mayor when he was tied down and had the Rabid Rebecca attack dog baying and chewing at him at every Council Meeting and street corner in Westminster?

Did reading the Carroll Sun’s shallow and content-less stories and hearing the rumor mongering make you sick?

Or were you like most folks – engaged by the drama, entertained by the scent of scandal, yet comfortably numb about the whole thing? If you have a version of this story – well, then you are part of this story. What did you care – it wasn’t you that she was going after – it was someone else.

Many have replaced empathy with an “I”-centered sentimentality.

What is in this community for me?

Feeling has been turned on its head: caring is now a means not for taking action, but for feeling better about oneself or getting attention as long as we can explain it away as “politics.”

We ride the emotional dramas in the Carroll Sun tabloid, wear colored ribbons, and express our love for God and country.

May we all now bow our heads and say “the Lord’s Prayer”. Now we can all enjoy the twice monthly soap opera that the meetings of the Westminster Common Council have degenerated into – and perhaps, even keep score. It’s funny – like watching a bus accident.

Meanwhile, we take no action – at least none driven by empathy. Besides – it wasn’t you that she was going after – it was someone else.

Empathy is how we respond to the plight of humanity. It is the bedrock of our moral sensibility that allows us to feel for others, to put ourselves in their place. If you cannot feel, how can you act outside your own wants and desires?

To many today, it seems easier to just deny feelings of empathy, to react to them “rationally” as a weakness in this hard and fast world. Anyway - it wasn’t you that she was going after – it was someone else.

But this has a cost. Losing feeling for others, or never developing the capacity to feel deeply at all, means closing off a fundamental part of being a community.

On a global scale, we feel less not just about the millions of innocent people killed by traffic accidents and drugs and violence in the past decade, or the thousands of deaths portrayed on the television.

We have also become desensitized and numb about our own partners, neighbors, community leaders or parents. We joke about concepts such as “No good deed goes unpunished.”

Hey, whatever, it wasn’t you that she was going after – it was someone else.

What most folks have not understood is that Rabid Rebecca is a virus in our community and like mad cow disease – ‘Going Rebecca’ is a plague upon our community.

Rabid Rebecca Disease is a virus that cares not about its host organism.

When the Westminster Mayor continued to Zen the Rabid Rebecca – he denied her the very food that an hysteric virus feeds upon – reaction and words.

Fed by others who enjoyed her theatrics and enabled her, she then, in the famous words of Abigail Adams, became the famous well fed snake that turned to bite the very folks who had fed her. Tis a pity. Oh well, anyway, let’s hope that is not you that she is going after.

It can now be understood that a major attribute of Rabid Rebecca Disease, otherwise known as Councilmatic Disorder is that the person Going Rebecca sees a vast difference in the reality that is based on what the afflicted sees, hears, and feels - and the conditioned reality of what the afflicted has been socialized to understand – as fed by the snake-feeders.

The virus infected mind is driven towards the delusional based on the afflicted’s perception of reality. The afflicted is driven to shorten the gap between his or her perception of their concept of the delusional truth - and conditioned reality. When the gap becomes too great the afflicted will see the conditioned reality as beyond repair and he or she endeavors to destroy it. But certainly it not you that she is attempting to go after, or is it?

In the process of feeding Rebecca, one becomes less human. The snake feeders explain it away as politics. They care not becomes of the community left moribund as a result of her behavior because they do not care about the community – only about themselves or what benefit they chance to gain as a result of their parasitic behavior towards the community.

As this happens, the parasitic snake feeders not only stop feeling the pain of others, they become proscriptive and only more capable of inflicting it. This is the darkest side of empathy’s erosion. If feelings underlie an empathic response, numbness makes brutality viable. Thus, as you happily switch off from humanity, you become a threat to it.

We were comfortably numb about the attempted torture of the Westminster Mayor, and so were the Council members and other interested parties that facilitated the behavior and fed this snake-virus in our community. Those who have participated won’t say they are sorry because they don’t feel sorry.

Simple as that. After all, you don’t have any feelings – it’s only politics.

And if we ourselves, can’t feel for the community and others, who will feel for us?

Perhaps this is part of the general worsening of mental well-being. As a recent World Health Organization study shows, there’s a near-perfect correlation between the rise of alienation in the modern world and the decline of people’s mental states, with mental dysfunction growing globally.

As empathy falls, behaviors predicated on its lack have been pathologized, like narcissistic and antisocial personalities. But these are not symptoms of organic disease. Instead, it is the social system that is in need of radical treatment. “It’s only politics and it is not me that she is going after” is a social disease, often the victim does not know that they have it.

Medicating our numbness, by explaining that it is only politics is one thing, with a long and lonely history. But a culture medicating itself into comfortable numbness and explaining away politically motivated apotheosis patheosis is something else. Fortunately there is an anecdote – allow the Rabid Rebecca to feed herself to the point that she explodes.

The only part left to this Kabuki Morals play is to watch the very persons who created this monster now portray themselves a victim of the monster and heroically place themselves in the position of coming to the rescue of the very community that they continue to parasitically victimized.

KED / August 13th, 2004

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"Voce Viaggio" The Power of Partnership By Diane Jones

The Power of Partnership

By Diane Jones, Other Voices Carroll County Times

Monday, August 09, 2004

"Voce Viaggio" of the Children's Chorus of Carroll County is back from a highly successful first trip abroad.

Undoubtedly there will be those who say, "Oh no, not the Chorus again," and that would be understandable since we have recently gotten such great press coverage. Please bear with me briefly so I can report a few of the benefits of our trip and extend a partial thank-you for the ground-swell of support we received.

We traveled to Finland, Sweden and Estonia and enjoyed the sights, the sounds, the foods and all of the sensory experiences of European travel.

However, the heart of our endeavor was the day we spent in a rather small town in Estonia named Paide, Westminster's Partner City. We had been in Helsinki with its Rock Church and Scandinavian intrigues; we had been in Tallinn with its medieval charm; we were in Stockholm with its cultural and architectural sophistication, but Paide captured our hearts and imaginations.

This is where we sang and danced with children who had awaited our visit as much as we looked forward to seeing them. This is where both the Estonian hymn and the Star Spangled Banner were sung and citizens from opposite sides of the world were moved to tears. This is where children from both countries sang in Estonian and English and even incorporated sign language into their presentation.

This is where our children learned Estonian folk dances and the Estonians learned the macarina in an impromptu gathering on the street in front of the town church. This is where e-mail addresses and gifts were exchanged with promises of seeing one another again. This is where friendships and the beginnings of international relations began. And this is where international peace was reinforced through learning to delight in the differences and commonalties of others.

Voce Viaggio has been the beneficiary of a successful series of partnerships that enabled us to make our dream a reality. The Westminster - Paide Partner City Program captured our imagination and provided our goal. Thomas Beyard, Kevin Dayhoff, Audrey Cimino and other Westminster - Paide Committee members supported us by networking within the community to raise funds and give our trip visibility.

Many organizations and individuals partnered with us, sharing our vision and helping make our trip possible. And of course, there are our Estonian friends, our new partners, with whom we have begun friendships with the promise of more personal and cultural exchanges.

This was more than just a trip to Europe with performance opportunities. In Estonia, the struggle between tyranny and freedom is very immediate and tangible; not one of us will be the same after experiencing this post-Soviet culture.

For example, our sense of materialism is put into perspective after being in a place where the standard of living is much simpler, but happiness comes from more fundamental sources, such as friendship and nature. The blessings of the United States are highlighted as we hear first-hand accounts of women and children being deported to Siberia just because they weren't Russian. Our own national anthem takes on greater significance as we meet Estonians who were forbidden to enjoy their national hymn or cultural heritage for 50 years.

The 24 students and the adults who traveled will be forever changed, their knowledge base and sensitivities having been greatly expanded. Sincere thanks to those of you who helped make this possible. It will be exciting to see where our partnerships take us next.

Diane Jones, of Westminster, is director of the Children's Chorus of Carroll County.

20040809 The Power of Partnership Jones
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

Subject: Third Annual Pennsylvania Avenue Block Party

Subject: Third Annual Pennsylvania Avenue Block Party

Contact Person: Josie Velazquez

Click here for more past posts on the annual Pennsylvania Avenue, Westminster, MD block party.

For Immediate Release:

Local residents to attend the Third Annual Pennsylvania Avenue and Cigarettes and Tobacco Prevention Block Party, July 18, (2004) from 4 PM to 8:30 PM.. This is a Come and Meet Your Neighbors get together. Enjoy multi-cultural foods made by the local residents reflecting the ethnic diversity of the neighborhood. Bring a dish and share a dish.

There will be educational and fun activities for children including a booth presented by the Carroll County Department of Health to inform children about the hazards of smoking cigarettes. The Westminster City Police Department has some special events planned. The Westminster Fire Department will have equipment on hand for viewing. Voter Registration will be available

Prizes will be awarded for Chalk Scape, a game where children draw on the sidewalk. Chalk will be provided. Dress your pet to win a prize in the pet parade. A Moon Bounce and a misting tent for hot weather will be lots of fun for the kids. There will be free art activities for children and parents. .

Community sponsors of this event include Kiwanis Club of Greater Westminster, Dutters Florist,and Gizmos Art.

This event is unique to our community and shows the spirt of good fellowship among our diverse community, the city, service group, county departments, and local business.

Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/) http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

Pennsylvania Avenue block party Sunday July 18 2004

Pennsylvania Avenue block party

Friday, July 16, 2004

The Third Annual Pennsylvania Avenue and Cigarettes and Tobacco Prevention Block Party on Sunday from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Westminster.

The event includes multi-cultural food dishes made by residents and educational activities for children provided by the Carroll County Health Department to inform children about the hazards of cigarette smoking, said Pennsylvania Avenue resident Josie Velazquez. Free art activities, a pet parade and a moon bounce will also be featured at the block party, she said.

The Westminster Fire Department will have equipment on display, she said, and the city police department will also be sponsoring an event. Voter registration will also be available, Velazquez said.

Pennsylvania Avenue will be closed to traffic between Union Street and James Way during the block party, she said.

- Greg Guenthner Carroll County Times

20040716 PA Ave Block Party cct

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Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/) http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

20040527 POW Congressman Johnson Hanoi Used Kerry Speech

20040527 POW Congressman Johnson Hanoi Used Kerry Speech

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

POW Congressman: Hanoi Used Kerry Speech, Gore Comments 'Traitorous'

North Vietnamese jailers at the Hanoi Hilton invoked Sen. John Kerry's 1971 anti-war testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to taunt and demoralize U.S. POWs, Vietnam war hero Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, revealed on Wednesday.

Johnson, who spent six years at the infamous prison camp, also called former Vice President Al Gore's remarks yesterday to the radical left-wing group Moveon.org "traitorous."

Asked if he'd heard about Kerry's speech while he was at the Hanoi Hilton, Johnson told WABC Radio's Mark Levin, "Yes, we did."

"[Hanoi Hilton jailers] played stuff on the loudspeaker darn near 24 hours a day - propaganda, of course - telling us about the 'uprisings' in the United States," he said.

A fighter pilot in both Korea and Vietnam, Johnson was shot down on his 87th combat mission in 1966. He spent three and a half of his six POW years in solitary confinement, during which he was repeatedly tortured and had no contact whatsoever with any other American.

A fellow POW Navy captain recalls that Johnson's first words upon being released from solitary were "Lieutenant Colonel Sam Johnson reporting for duty, sir."

Johnson told Levin that his North Vietnamese jailers found the anti-war activities of actress Jane Fonda, who teamed up with Kerry's Vietnam Veterans Against the War in 1970 and '71, to be particularly useful.

"They played her speech to the guys on the front line, where she talked through a loudspeaker and told them to lay down their arms and quit fighting," he recalled. "And John Kerry was part of that anti-war movement."

"He was a Jane Fonda type, if you will," added Johnson, who referred to Kerry on the House floor last month as "Hanoi John." "That's what most of the POWs refer to him as," he explained.

"[Kerry] let the veterans down. When you're in a war you don't go out there badmouthing your fellow soldiers," he noted, referring to Kerry's 1971 speech. "You know, that's a disservice to the veterans."

"Anybody who comes back and works against the best interests of the United States, in my view, doesn't deserve to be president of the United States," the former fighter ace said.

Johnson also weighed in on former Vice President Al Gore's speech to Moveon.org yesterday, where Gore called on top Bush defense and national security officials to resign.

After Levin played a clip from the Gore speech, the Texas Republican was livid, saying that the comments were "as close to being traitorous as I can think of."

"You know what, we're in a war. I think people ought to stop and think about that," Johnson added. "I think that our [soldiers] are doing such a grand job [in Iraq] that they just need to be commended and not slaughtered by traitorous remarks that I just heard."

"Al Gore is no friend of America the way he was talking in those clips you played," he told Levin. "It's just unbelievable to me that anyone would make comments like that about our nation and the war that we're involved in today."

Rep. Johnson's war decorations include 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.

He also served as director of the Air Force "Top Gun" Fighter Weapons School.

Editor's note:

 Breaking: The Real Story About John Kerry`s Vietnam Record – Click Here!

2004052 Author turns story of Silver Run silver mine into a children's book by Carrie Ann Knauer

2004052 Author turns story of Silver Run silver mine into a children's book by Carrie Ann Knauer

Author turns story of Silver Run silver mine into a children's book by Carrie Ann Knauer

By Carrie Ann Knauer, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 12, 2004

Lois Szymanski, children's author and assistant to the director of the library at McDaniel College, said that she was always interested in the history and legends of her hometown in Silver Run.

When she first heard about the legend of the silver mine in Silver Run, she was intrigued and wanted to find more about it. She ended up turning her research into a children's book called "Silver Lining" about two girls hearing the legend of the mine and then trying to find it.

Szymanski gave a talk at the Historical Society's monthly box lunch talk Tuesday on the legend of the silver mine in Silver Run. While she may not be a historian, Szymanski said she has done a lot of personal research on the silver mine and other local pieces of history.

[…]

Read the rest of the article here: Author turns story of Silver Run silver mine into a children's book by Carrie Ann Knauer

Reach staff writer Carrie Ann Knauer at 410-857-7874 or carriem@lcniofmd.com.

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2004/05/12/news/local_news/news5.txt

20040410 White House Aug 6 2001 al Qaida briefing

White House Aug. 6, 2001, al-Qaida briefing

WASHINGTON - The following is the full text of an Aug. 6, 2001, intelligence briefing for President George W. Bush that outlined al-Qaida plans to strike within the United States.

It was released on Saturday by the White House.

Declassified and Approved for Release, 10 April 2004

Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US

Clandestine, foreign government, and media reports indicate Bin Ladin since 1997 has wanted to conduct terrorist attacks in the US. Bin Ladin implied in US television interviews in 1997 and 1998 that his followers would follow the example of World Trade Center bomber Ramzi Yousef and “bring the fighting to America.”

After US missile strikes on his base in Afghanistan in 1998, Bin Ladin told followers he wanted to retaliate in Washington, according to a ...(redacted portion) ... service.

An Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) operative told an ... (redacted portion) ... service at the same time that Bin Ladin was planning to exploit the operative’s access to the US to mount a terrorist strike.

The millennium plotting in Canada in 1999 may have been part of Bin Ladin’s first serious attempt to implement a terrorist strike in the US. Convicted plotter Ahmed Ressam has told the FBI that he conceived the idea to attack Los Angeles International Airport himself, but that Bin Ladin lieutenant Abu Zubaydah encouraged him and helped facilitate the operation. Ressam also said that in 1998 Abu Zubaydah was planning his own US attack.

Ressam says Bin Ladin was aware of the Los Angeles operation.

Although Bin Ladin has not succeeded, his attacks against the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 demonstrate that he prepares operations years in advance and is not deterred by setbacks. Bin Ladin associates surveilled our Embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam as early as 1993, and some members of the Nairobi cell planning the bombings were arrested and deported in 1997.

Al-Qa’ida members -- including some who are US citizens --have resided in or traveled to the US for years, and the group apparently maintains a support structure that could aid attacks. Two al-Qa’ida members found guilty in the conspiracy to bomb our Embassies in East Africa were US citizens, and a senior EIJ member lived in California in the mid-1990s.

A clandestine source said in 1998 that a Bin Ladin cell in New York was recruiting Muslim-American youth for attacks.

We have not been able to corroborate some of the more sensational threat reporting, such as that from a ... (redacted portion) ... service in 1998 saying that Bin Ladin wanted to hijack a US aircraft to gain the release of “Blind Shaykh” ’Umar ’Abd al-Rahman and other US-held extremists.

Nevertheless, FBI information since that time indicates patterns of suspicious activity in this country consistent with preparations for hijackings or other types of attacks, including recent surveillance of federal buildings in New York.

The FBI is conducting approximately 70 full field investigations throughout the US that it considers Bin Ladin-related. CIA and the FBI are investigating a call to our Embassy in the UAE in May saying that a group of Bin Ladin supporters was in the US planning attacks with explosives.

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