Kevin Earl Dayhoff Art One-half Banana Stems

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

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Presidents Radio Address for November 14 2008

Presidents Radio Address for November 14 2008

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
November 14, 2008
President's Radio Address
President's Radio Address Audio En Español

In Focus: Economy

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This weekend I am hosting a summit on the global financial crisis with leaders of developed and developing nations. By working together, I'm confident that with time we can overcome this crisis and return our economies to the path of growth and vitality.

I know many of you listening are worried about the challenges facing our economy. Stock market declines have eroded the value of retirement accounts and pension funds. The tightening of credit has made it harder for families to borrow money for cars, homes, and education. Businesses have found it harder to get loans to expand their operations and create jobs. Many nations have suffered job losses and have serious concerns about the worsening economy.

Nations around the world have responded to this situation with bold measures, and our actions are having an impact. Credit markets are beginning to thaw and businesses are gaining access to essential short-term financing. It will require more time for these improvements to fully take hold and there will be more difficult days ahead, but the United States and our partners are taking the right steps to get through the crisis.

As we address the current crisis, we also need to make broader reforms to adapt our financial systems to the 21st century. So during this summit, I will work with other leaders to establish principles for reform, such as making markets more transparent and ensuring that markets, firms, and financial products are properly regulated.

All these steps will require decisive actions from governments around the world. At the same time, we must recognize that government intervention is not a cure-all. While reforms in the financial sector are essential, the long-term solution to today's problems is sustained economic growth. And the surest path to that growth is free markets and free people.

This is a decisive moment for the global economy. In the wake of the financial crisis voices from the left and right are equating the free enterprise system with greed, exploitation, and failure. It is true that this crisis included failures by lenders and borrowers, by financial firms, by governments and independent regulators. But the crisis was not a failure of the free market system. And the answer is not to try to reinvent that system. It is to fix the problems we face, make the reforms we need, and move forward with the free market principles that have delivered prosperity and hope to people around the world.

The benefits of free market capitalism have been proven across time, geography, and culture. Around the world free market capitalism has allowed once impoverished nations to develop large and prosperous economies. And here at home, free market capitalism is what transformed America from a rugged frontier to the greatest economic power in history.

Just as important as maintaining free markets within countries is maintaining the free movement of goods and services between countries. There are many ways for nations to demonstrate their commitment to open markets. The United States Congress can take the lead by approving free trade agreements with Colombia, Panama, and South Korea before adjourning for the year.

In the long run, Americans can be confident in the future of our economy. We will work with our partners around the world to address the problems in the global financial system. We will strengthen our economy. And we will continue to lead the world toward prosperity and peace.

Thank you for listening.

# # #

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2008114 Presidents Radio Address for November 14 2008

Some thoughts on “Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun”

Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun” Thursday, November 13, 2008 Baltimore Business Journal - by Julekha Dash Staff



Hat Tip: The Gunpowder Chronicle



November 15th, 2008 - My thoughts, for what they are worth…



Lately the topic of another round of layoffs and adjustments in the business of Tribune and the Baltimore Sun has been the subject of some discussions among several of us who work for Tribune. (See my media disclosure here. I work for Tribune.)



I have also been a critic of the Baltimore Sun’s political coverage in the past and I agree that the widespread perception of bias on the part of the Baltimore Sun has been detrimental to the overall health of the paper.



Moreover I continue to believe that liberal media bias plagues too much of the traditional mainstream media.



However, when I read criticism that involves hyperbolic name-calling, the critic loses the argument with me. (And yes, I am aware of past columns and blog posts in which I have engaged in some name calling… I guess I am a recovering name caller…)



Nevertheless, the editorial board of the Baltimore Sun continues to promote the paper in an unfavorable light. The fact that I disagree with much of the editorial slant does not concern me. What concerns me is that all too often the position of the board is inconsistent, displays situational principles, and is personality driven.



Perhaps this is simply the nature of the beast, but I would much rather see objective consistent community-benefit-driven analysis and commentary, instead of a newspaper editorial board parroting the talking points and spin of a particular individual, political party, or ideology.



To say it clearly, anything Illinois Sen. Barack Obama or Maryland Governor O’Malley = GOOD. Anything conservative, Arizona Sen. John McCain, or former Governor Robert l. Ehrlich = BAD.



If you need a more recent example, take a look at slots: Slots under Governor Ehrlich = BAD. Slots under Governor O’Malley = GOOD. What changed…?



However, the local community newspaper arm of Tribune – The Baltimore Sun, the Patuxent Publishing Company, (Explore Baltimore Co., Explore Carroll Co. - the paper for which I write, and Explore Howard Co.,) continues to deliver quality news and reporting. Of course, part of the reason for that is that those of us on the local community level have a higher level of accountability in that we can often be found at the same pizza parlor and grocery store check out line with the very folks we cover.



Nonetheless, the current economic times are a strain on all businesses, including newspapers, the metros, and the community newspapers alike.



In spite of the bewildering approach of the Baltimore Sun’s editorial board, most all the reporters are quite professional, talented, and objective in their reporting.



In the end they all have families and unless a particular individual displays a personal animus or maliciousness; critics of the paper may benefit from a more constructive engagement with the reporters. And I hate to see anyone lose his or her job – especially these days.



And especially a writer: What do you call a writer without a significant other? Homeless.



There is a growing perception that the management of the Baltimore Sun is trying hard to adjust to the times – with more accessibility and less of the condescending arrogance that has manifested in the corporate personality of the paper in the past.



As an aside; whether I agree or disagree with the columnists, I like the sharp writing of most of the columnists (and most of the reporters) – and I like the paper’s recent foray into blogs. And I like the improvements in the web site.



The debate about blogger journalists versus traditional print media journalists has been getting increasingly boring – see 20070112 Some wisdom about the silliest debate in journalism. There are good and bad in both camps. If you don’t like a particular writer, don’t read them.



I read writers – not headlines - and not papers...



Attempting to promote blogs and new media by carelessly denigrating traditional print media is a disservice to all journalists and journalism and brings all of us down.



Considering the challenges at the local level, in Maryland and the nation; the press has, if anything, an increased responsibility and there is an important role for the Baltimore Sun to play.



We need greater cooperation, collaboration – and we need all hands on deck.



Kevin Dayhoff



******

Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun



Thursday, November 13, 2008



Baltimore Business Journal - by
Julekha Dash Staff


A
Baltimore Sun union said Thursday it expects another round of job cuts at the newspaper, and officials are preparing to fight any future layoffs.



The Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild said it expects more job cuts within days. Angie Kuhl, a unit chair with the union, said she does not know how many job cuts are planned. But union officials don’t expect buyouts to be offered, as they have been in the past, and the cuts will impact the newsroom.



Renee Mutchnik, a Baltimore Sun spokeswoman, said Sun management has no comment.



The Sun eliminated 100 positions at the paper in August. It also recently eliminated its standalone Maryland and Business sections as part of an overall redesign.



[…]



Tribune Co., the Sun’s parent, posted a $124 million third quarter loss this month.



The newspaper, Maryland’s largest daily publication, saw its average Sunday circulation number fall 3.9 percent to 350,640 during the period.



Read the entire article here: Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun



Tribune Co. posts $124M loss



http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/11/10/daily53.html



20081113 Some thoughts on
Union says more job cuts coming at the Baltimore Sun

Friday, November 14, 2008

Bailout man by Eva Moon

Bailout man by Eva Moon

November 14, 2008 - Thank goodness it's Friday

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZUXXSxZPhw

Can anything make the Wall Street bailout even slightly more palatable? Probably not. But Eva Moon mixes it up with a little funk and sex? Music and lyrics by Eva Moon. Ferko Saxmanov on sax, Tym Parsons bass and guitar. http://evamoon.net Category: Comedy





Photo from: “Bailout Man” by Eva Moon http://evamoon.net/ Oct. 6, 2008

20081114 Bailout man by Eva Moon

The Onion - In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

Thank goodness it's Friday


In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

20081113 The Onion In The Know: Should The Government Stop Dumping Money Into A Giant Hole?

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Life work of Sargent Shriver began in Westminster by Kevin Dayhoff


Life work of Sargent Shriver began in Westminster by Kevin Dayhoff

Picture Caption: Sargent Shriver, director of the Peace Corps, (center) and U.S. President John F. Kennedy (right) at the White House. Source: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library Date: August 28, 1961 Author: Abbie Rowe, photographer for the National Park Service Public Domain - Work of US Fed'l Gov't


November 12, 2008

Westminster - Twenty years ago this week the community was abuzz in anticipation of one of Carroll County's most celebrated native sons, Robert Sargent Shriver Jr. returning to town to help celebrate the City of Westminster's 150th Anniversary Dinner on Nov. 18, 1988.

Shriver, who was born Nov. 9, 1915, lived several childhood years on Willis Street in Westminster.

He married Eunice Kennedy, President John F. Kennedy's sister and the daughter of Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy, on May 23, 1953. Mrs. Shriver is the founder and chair of Special Olympics International and the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation.

They have five children, one of whom, Maria Owings Shriver, is married to another well-known national personality, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The program for the 1988 event listed Shriver's "unparalleled record of public service at the local, national and international level: [...]


Read the rest of the column here: Life work of Sargent Shriver began in Westminster by Kevin Dayhoff

Westminster Eagle: http://www.explorecarroll.com/opinion/1548/life-work-sargent-shriver-began-westminster/

kdayhoff AT carr DOT org Posted on
www.explorecarroll.com 11/12/08

20081112 Life work of Sargent Shriver began in Westminster by Kevin Dayhoff

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Irate Congressman Demands Resignation of AIG CEO


Irate Congressman Demands Resignation of AIG CEO

Rep. Elijah Cummings: Latest "Junket" Violates AIG Pledge

By JOSEPH RHEE November 11, 2008—

A leading critic of AIG today demanded the company's CEO resign in the wake of the disclosure of yet another "junket" at a resort spa. In a letter to AIG's CEO Edward Liddy, Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said the decision to hold an event for independent financial advisors last week at a luxury Phoenix resort was "outrageous" given an earlier pledge by Liddy to curtail such events.

Cummings wrote that AIG can begin to restore its trust with Congress "by accepting your resignation from the positions of chairman and chief executive officer."

Reporters for abc15.com (KNXV) caught top AIG executives on hidden camera at a secretive gathering last week at the luxurious Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak Resort in Phoenix. AIG instructed the hotel to make sure no company logos and signs were seen on the property, according to a company spokesman.

Click here to see the full KNXV report.

In his letter, Cummings questioned how the Phoenix event could have taken place given Liddy's earlier assurances that "not one cent of taxpayer dollars" would by used to pay for such events. The decision to hold the event while AIG was asking for billions of dollars more in federal loans was "even more shocking", wrote Cummings.

[…]

Click here to read letter.

[…]

Click here to read AIG's full response.

Cummings asked Liddy to provide him with details on who the sponsors were and how much money they were providing, as well as an itemized list of expenses incurred by AIG. Cummings also requested a list of each of the
160 planned events that AIG said it had cancelled on or after October 30.

[…]


Read the entire article here: Irate Congressman Demands Resignation of AIG CEO

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/WallStreet/story?id=6230818&page=1

20081111 Irate Congressman Demands Resignation of AIG CEO

Always check your children's homework

When I grow up I want to be just like Mommy…

Hat Tip: Analog

Read below for the rest of the story…



Actually...

Mommy works at Home Depot... she was selling a shovel.



As for the child’s drawing; you’ll have to get the Pillage Idiot explain it.



20081111 Always check your childrens homework

Monday, November 10, 2008

Semper Fi Happy Birthday Marines

Semper Fi Happy Birthday Marines

November 10 2008

For Corps and Country
Semper Fi, and as always… check six

Click here for more posts on the Unites States Marine Corps



Above: Camp Upshur, Marine Base at Quantico in 1972… June 11, 1972 - July 21, 1972 (Is Camp Upshur still in use?)



In July 1972 after USMC Reserve boot camp…


20081110 Semper Fi Happy Birthday Marines

Happy Birthday United States Marines


Happy Birthday United States Marines

For Corps and Country
Semper Fi, and as always… check six

UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY MESSAGE - 10 NOVEMBER 2008

Date Signed: 10/10/2008
ALMAR Number: 042/08
R 082000z OCT 08
ALMAR 042/08

MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC CMC//

SUBJ/UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS BIRTHDAY MESSAGE - 10 NOVEMBER 2008//
POC/SSGT M. BELL/ADMIN CHIEF/UNIT:CMC STAFF GROUP/-
/TEL:(703) 614-2326//

GENTEXT/REMARKS/

1. DURING THE SUMMER OF 1982, IN THE WAKE OF A PRESIDENTIAL DIRECTIVE, MARINES WENT ASHORE AT BEIRUT, LEBANON.

FIFTEEN MONTHS LATER, ON 23 OCTOBER 1983, EXTREMISTS STRUCK THE FIRST MAJOR BLOW AGAINST AMERICAN FORCES - STARTING THIS LONG WAR ON TERRORISM.

ON THAT SUNDAY MORNING, A SUICIDE BOMBER DROVE AN EXPLOSIVE-LADEN TRUCK INTO THE HEADQUARTERS OF BATTALION LANDING TEAM 1/8, DESTROYING THE BUILDING AND KILLING 241 MARINES AND CORPSMEN.

2. EXTREMISTS HAVE ATTACKED OUR NATION, AT HOME AND ABROAD, NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE THAT FATEFUL DAY IN BEIRUT.

THEIR AIM HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE SAME - TO KILL AS MANY INNOCENT AMERICANS AS POSSIBLE. THE ATTACKS OF 11 SEPTEMBER 2001 CHANGED OUR NATION FOREVER, AND OUR PRESIDENT HAS RESOLVED THAT THIS NATION WILL NOT STAND IDLE WHILE MURDEROUS TERRORISTS PLOT THEIR NEXT STRIKE.

MARINES WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE THE FIGHT TO THE ENEMY - HITTING THEM ON THEIR OWN TURF, CRUSHING THEM WHEN THEY SHOW THEMSELVES, AND FINDING THEM WHERE THEY HIDE.

3. ONLY A FEW AMERICANS CHOOSE THE DANGEROUS, BUT NECESSARY, WORK OF FIGHTING OUR NATION'S ENEMIES.

WHEN OUR CHAPTER OF HISTORY IS WRITTEN, IT WILL BE A SAGA OF A SELFLESS GENERATION OF MARINES WHO WERE WILLING TO STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR OUR NATION; TO DEFEND THOSE WHO COULD NOT DEFEND THEMSELVES; TO THRIVE ON THE HARDSHIP AND SACRIFICE EXPECTED OF AN ELITE WARRIOR CLASS; TO MARCH TO THE SOUNDOF THE GUNS; AND TO ABLY SHOULDER THE LEGACY OF THOSE MARINES WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE.

4. ON OUR 233RD BIRTHDAY, FIRST REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED AND THOSE "ANGELS" WHO HAVE FALLEN - OUR REPUTATION WAS BUILT ON THEIR SACRIFICES.

REMEMBER OUR FAMILIES; THEY ARE THE UNSUNG HEROES WHOSE SUPPORT AND DEDICATION ALLOW US TO ANSWER OUR NATION'S CALL.

FINALLY, TO ALL MARINES AND SAILORS, KNOW THAT I AM PROUD OF YOU AND WHAT YOU DO.

YOUR SUCCESSES ON THE BATTLEFIELD HAVE ONLY ADDED TO OUR ILLUSTRIOUS HISTORY.

GENERAL VICTOR H. "BRUTE" KRULAK SAID IT BEST WHEN HE WROTE, "... THE UNITED STATES DOES NOT NEED A MARINE CORPS ... THE UNITED STATES WANTS A MARINE CORPS." YOUR ACTIONS, IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, AND ACROSS THE GLOBE, ARE AT THE CORE OF WHY AMERICA LOVES HER MARINES.

5. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARINES AND SEMPER FIDELIS! JAMES T. CONWAY, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS//


http://www.marines.mil/news/messages/Pages/UNITEDSTATESMARINECORPSBIRTHDAYMESSAGE.aspx

20081010 Happy Birthday United States Marines

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff


Published November 9, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE Last Tuesday, after two years, 45 debates and $2.4 billion spent, American voters finally had their day. Is it just me, or does...


Junction and Lenny Moore explain what teens are thinking



Published November 5, 2008 by Westminster Eagle


On Thursday, Nov. 6, Junction Inc. will host a substance abuse and awareness program sponsored by the Board of County commissioners at 6 p.m....



20081109 Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

First Bush-Obama Meeting: Hard Feelings and Hand Sanitizer


As President Bush and President-elect Barack Obama prepare for their post-election meeting at the White House on Monday, memories of their first encounter linger.

Bill Sammon FOXNews.com Sunday, November 09, 2008

President Bush and President-elect Barack Obama are probably hoping their meeting Monday goes better than their first get-together, which left a bad taste in the mouths of both men.

Four years ago, Obama and other newly elected members of the Senate were invited to the White House for a breakfast meeting with Bush, who pulled the young Chicagoan aside.

"Obama!" Bush exclaimed, according to Obama's account of the meeting in his second memoir, "The Audacity of Hope." "Come here and meet Laura. Laura, you remember Obama. We saw him on TV during election night. Beautiful family. And that wife of yours -- that's one impressive lady."

The two men shook hands and then, according to Obama, Bush turned to an aide, "who squirted a big dollop of hand sanitizer in the president's hand."

Bush then offered some to Obama, who recalled: "Not wanting to seem unhygienic, I took a squirt."

The president then led Obama off to one side of the room, where Bush said: "I hope you don't mind me giving you a piece of advice."

"Not at all, Mr. President," Obama told the commander-in-chief.

"You've got a bright future," Bush said presciently. "Very bright. But I've been in this town awhile and, let me tell you, it can be tough. When you get a lot of attention like you've been getting, people start gunnin' for ya. And it won't necessarily just be coming from my side, you understand. From yours, too. Everybody'll be waiting for you to slip, know what I mean? So watch yourself."

[…]

I thought I was actually showing some kindness," Bush said indignantly. "And out of that he came with this belief?"

The president added with a bit of a scowl: "He doesn't know me very well."
(Ed: My emphasis)

[…]


Remove all heavy and sharp objects from the room and read the entire article… First Bush-Obama Meeting: Hard Feelings and Hand Sanitizer. It should remind you of the Ann Coulter admonishment – sometimes, you can never be nice to a liberal. Wow, did I ever learn that lesson the hard way…

Bill Sammon is Washington Deputy Managing Editor for FOX News.

http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/11/09/bush-obama-meeting-hard-feelings-hand-sanitier/#

20081109 First Bush Obama Meeting Hard Feelings and Hand Sanitizer

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Daily Patio Pic for November 9, 2008


Daily Patio Pic for November 9, 2008

November 9, 2008 Kevin Dayhoff

Daily UTR Patio photo

20081109 Daily Patio Pic (3)



Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

A Look at Maryland Economic Issues by Barbara Paulsen




A Look at Maryland Economic Issues by Barbara Paulsen

November 3, 2008



Webmaster’s note: Maryland continues to lose jobs in the private sector because of the state’s well-deserved reputation for being anti-business and tax-hell. Moreover, folks are leaving the state in a tax-flight that shows no abatement in the foreseeable future.

However the article skirts this economic dynamic ever so euphemistically.

It says: “The manufacturing sector, however, continues to disappoint and accounts for increasingly fewer jobs as it continues to shrink. While the loss of these jobs has slowed in the past three years, it remains the biggest economic drag on the state's economy. Maryland is trying to shift from labor-based manufacturing jobs to more science and knowledge-based jobs. But attempts to lure large international corporations have been hurt by the high cost of doing business in the state.

“… For several consecutive years more people have moved out of Maryland than moved in, largely because of people searching for cheaper housing.”

Kevin Dayhoff





Unlike many states, Maryland has historically had a relatively robust and diversified economy that allows it to maintain healthy growth. But the future of Maryland's economy, like that of the nation, is uncertain.

Underpinning its economic diversity is a highly educated workforce — one of the nation's highest ratios of Ph.D. holders — and virtually full employment. There are a large number of well-paying jobs in government, health care and education. The unemployment rate was just 3.6 percent last year, among the nation's lowest. And Maryland ranks fifth in personal income in the nation.

The federal government acts as a stabilizing force in Maryland's economy. "Maryland is blessed by its geography," said Daraius Irani, director of the Regional Economic Studies Institute at Towson University outside Baltimore.

[…]

The manufacturing sector, however, continues to disappoint and accounts for increasingly fewer jobs as it continues to shrink. While the loss of these jobs has slowed in the past three years, it remains the biggest economic drag on the state's economy. Maryland is trying to shift from labor-based manufacturing jobs to more science and knowledge-based jobs. But attempts to lure large international corporations have been hurt by the high cost of doing business in the state.

Housing prices in Maryland are expected to drop more than 10 percent in the next year, slightly less that the national average. For several consecutive years more people have moved out of Maryland than moved in, largely because of people searching for cheaper housing.


Read the entire article here: A Look at Maryland Economic Issues by Barbara Paulsen

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=4804449

20081103 A Look at Maryland Economic Issues by Barbara Paulsen

Recession Nation: 49 States at Risk By Scott Mayerowitz


Recession Nation: 49 States at Risk By Scott Mayerowitz

ABC NEWS Business Unit Nov. 3, 2008—


Hat Tip: B5 who lives in Alaska. He suggested that I “Check out this article and then tell me why you aren't considering moving to this great (Republican) State.”

In March, Five States Were in Recession; Now There Are 30, With 19 More at Risk

No state is immune from falling into a recession, except for one: oil-rich Alaska.

What started out as a housing problem in a few states has now exploded into a full-fledged recession, with a majority of states now in or dangerously close to recession.

At the end of September, 30 states were in recession, according to
Moody's Economy.com. Back in March, only five states were in recession: Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan and Nevada.

[…]

The just leaves one part of the country -- Alaska -- with a still-expanding economy. (The District of Columbia, with its government and government-related jobs, also still has an expanding economy.)

"There's no way around the map. It says the nation is in recession. The recession is coast to coast," Mark Zandi, chief economist and co-founder of Moody's Economy.com told ABC News recently. "One of the unique features of this downturn is how broad-based it is, regionally."

What happened between March and today?

"The job market has eroded measurably and industrial production has weakened sharply in the last couple of months. Those are the two key things. The other thing is that retail sales have also sharply weakened," Zandi said.

The one bright side is part of the middle of the country. Agriculture and energy are still strong and providing jobs.

[…]

"The exception is the part of the country between the Mississippi River and the Rockies, which is still doing pretty well," he said. "High farm prices are good if you are in Iowa. High oil prices are good if you are in Houston."

Peter Morici, an economics professor at the University of Maryland, said a decline in manufacturing is really hurting the Rust Belt. That said, the economy still is very regional and industry-specific.

[…]

"The state governments are an exercise in irresponsibility. Through the property boom, they enjoyed the increase in people's assessments," Morici said. "They are just not structured to handle the cynical movements in their revenue the way they should be.

"Just like companies, municipalities can behave irresponsibly in good times, not shore up any money for bad times and then go crying to the federal government when they need cash," he added.

Read the entire article here: Recession Nation: 49 States at Risk

ABC News Internet Ventures

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=6158877&page=1

20081103
Recession Nation: 49 States at Risk By Scott Mayerowitz

Friday, November 07, 2008

Mr Moose at HSCC Annual Dinner


Mr Moose at HSCC Annual Dinner

November 6, 2008 Kevin Dayhoff

Mr. Moose soaks up some Carroll County history at the annual Historical Society of Carroll County annual dinner and meeting.

20081106 Mr Moose at HSCC Annual Dinner



Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

Monday, November 03, 2008

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff


Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

October 31, 2008

After this long campaign season, we have many reasons to celebrate
Published October 31, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This coming Tuesday is General Election Day, and I hope everyone takes the time to vote. Along with our freedom of speech, the right to vote...

Silvery Moon celebrates auxiliary's golden anniversary
Published October 29, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Fifty years ago on Sept. 2, 1958, the Carroll Hospital Center Auxiliary was officially formed. Its first president was Gladys Wimert. Other community leaders...

William Jennings Bryan was the life of the party in 1900
Published October 24, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
I was watching the debate the other night -- you know, for the folks who, for some reason, want to be president -- when a...

Seems we're more in a 'Panic' than a 'Depression'
Published October 22, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Anyone remember the Panic of 1907? Well, let me refresh your memory. On Oct. 22, 1907, one of the more dramatic financial failures in American...

We had joy, we had fun, we had sidewalks in the sun
Published October 17, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE I'm writing this week's column within feet of the Atlantic Ocean in Nags Head, N.C. And I mean, literally, "feet from the ocean."...

Tragedy comes home to Carroll in fallen officers
Published October 15, 2008 by Westminster Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Sunday Carroll Eagle
It's a sad fact that five Maryland police officers have died in the line of duty in 2008. But it's a curious fact that four...

Real-life 'Flash of Genius' saw his final days in Sykesville
Published October 12, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE The next time you're driving around Carroll County and it starts to drizzle just a tad, but sure to thank your former neighbor,...

A Culinary Experience is food for thought on a tough topic
Published October 8, 2008 by Westminster Eagle, Eldersburg Eagle
On Monday, Oct. 13, the Rape Crisis Intervention Service of Carroll County will hold its ninth annual "A Culinary Experience," at Martin's Westminster. This is...

Westminster's Clock Tower will stand the test of time
Published October 1, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Kevin Dayhoff kdayhoff@carr.org Ask anyone to name the most cherished landmark in Westminster, and most will say it's the Westminster Clock Tower, which sits atop the old...

http://www.explorecarroll.com/search/more.php?f=news&p=1&s=Dayhoff

Pardon my French, but where do these words come from?
Published September 28, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE This week, we visit an event that took place long before Carroll County was formed -- yet affects English speakers worldwide to this...

Time to look toward shaping Westminster's the future
Published September 24, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
In last week's column I discussed the real challenge facing Westminster as the need for an open community conversation over the growth of city government,...

A few things to chew on as we contemplate Taneytown history
Published September 21, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This Sunday we turn our attention to the northern part of Carroll County. For the convenience of folks in south Carroll, though, we'll...

Be critical of spending, but MML has been worthwhile
Published September 17, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
There has been a fair amount of discussion of late regarding published accounts of the June trip by 15 appointed and elected officials from Westminster...

League of extraordinary gentlemen (and women) serving Maryland
Published September 14, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Between scholarships, the cost of conferences and its plan to create geocache sites in local municipalities, the Maryland Municipal League has been the...

Appreciating the composed chaos of the GOP Convention
Published September 10, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
I spent last week at the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. The Xcel Center is a hockey arena...

For many years, the convention 'party' came to Baltimore
Published September 5, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This past week I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel with the Maryland Delegation to the 2008 Republican National Convention at...

Power of art contributes to a community's vibrancy
Published September 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
This week's column is a bit of a travel log, but one that relates to life here in Westminster. Recently I had an opportunity to...


http://www.explorecarroll.com/search/more.php?f=news&p=2&s=Dayhoff

20081031 Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns


http://www.kevindayhoff.net/
E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr DOT org
His columns appear in The Tentacle, http://www.thetentacle.com/; Westminster Eagle Opinion and Sunday Carroll Eagle: http://explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/

Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween


Happy Halloween

Daily Photoblog October 28, 2008 Kevin Dayhoff

I saw this on a PFG Carroll County Foods truck while driving through Westminster on October 28, 2008. Too funny.

20081028 Happy Halloween

Landmark suspends sale of assets, but not the Pilot

Landmark suspends sale of assets, but not the Pilot

By Philip Walzer The Virginian-Pilot © October 30, 2008 NORFOLK

Related:

Locally, Landmark owns the Carroll County Times in Westminster Maryland.

20080104 Company looks into sales scenarios by Carrie Ann Knauer

Landmark considers possible sale of Pilot, Weather Channel (Jan. 3, 2008)

Weather Channel's profitability is behind sale, says Landmark executive (Jan. 10, 2008)

Arkansas company scouts The Virginian-Pilot, other papers (June 29, 2008)

Weather Channel deal sealed for $3.5 billion to NBC group (July 7, 2008)

Sale of Landmark TV station in Nashville falls through (Oct. 15, 2008)

Full archive on the Landmark Communications sale

Landmark Media Enterprises LLC, citing the "credit crisis," announced Wednesday that it has taken most of its properties, including Dominion Enterprises, off the market. But the company is continuing negotiations to sell The Virginian-Pilot.

"We are having discussions regarding The Virginian-Pilot Media Companies with an interested buyer," Landmark's vice chairman, Richard F. Barry III, said Wednesday. "The buyer is encouraged about obtaining financing."

He declined to identify the prospective buyer or say when he expected the sale to be completed.

The Virginian-Pilot and its affiliates employ about 1,260 people, mostly in Hampton Roads. The Pilot's associated businesses include Web sites such as Pilotonline.com and more than a dozen specialty publications, such as Link, Port Folio Weekly, Inside Business, and newspapers on military bases.

[…]

Newspaper-industry analyst John Morton said he wasn't surprised that Landmark was dropping its plans to sell most of its businesses. He noted that other newspapers remain on the market, including most of Cox Enterprises' publications and the San Diego Union-Tribune.

"The market is awash in sellers and no buyers," said Morton, who is based in Silver Spring, Md. "Right now it's the credit, but it wasn't happening before the credit tied up. People are very leery. They're not sure what they should pay or how well the newspapers are going to come out of the recession they've been in."

Facing steep market declines in advertising revenue and circulation, newspapers have lost more than half of their value since 2002, he said.

Landmark officials announced in January that they were looking to sell all of the businesses owned by the privately held media company. They did not offer a reason.

In September, Landmark completed the sale of its most profitable business, The Weather Channel Cos., to NBC Universal and two private-equity firms. The sal e price was not disclosed, but people close to the parties said it was about $3.5 billion.

Two weeks ago, however, Landmark announced that the planned sale of its Nashville television station to Bonten Media Group Inc. of New York had fallen through because of credit-market problems.

Landmark's businesses, minus The Weather Channel Cos., have combined revenues exceeding $1 billion a year, Barry said.

[…]


Read the entire article here: Landmark suspends sale of assets, but not the Pilot

http://hamptonroads.com/2008/10/landmark-suspends-sale-most-assets-not-virginianpilot

20081030 Landmark suspends sale of assets but not the Pilot

Carroll County Times Newspapers In Education Fundraiser November 6 2008

Carroll County Times Newspapers In Education Fundraiser November 6 2008

Friday, October 31, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

I used the Newspapers in Education curriculum for a “Community Learning Center” after school program I taught for students at risk in 2007.

I taught students to collage their own newspaper by using the print editions of the Carroll County Times.

Don’t tell the students but they did not know that they were being taught remedial reading in the process.

In the past I have supported the program by donating art for the annual auction fundraiser – which this year will be held on November 6th, 2008. See below for more details.

Yesterday, I dropped off art for my contribution for this year.

For more information, call 410-857-8554 and ask for Gwen Welty and tell her that I asked you to call…

This community initiative by the Carroll County is worthy of your support:

Each year the Times holds several major fundraisers to support the NIE program. The largest is the annual Newspapers in Education Holiday Auction in the fall. Gift certificate block sales may be held throughout the year.

Newspapers in Education Holiday Auction

Newspapers in Education Holiday Auction
Thursday, November 6, 2008

B and D Auctions (formerly O'Farrell's Auctions)
435 Sullivan Road
Westminster, MD 21157

Preview and silent auction begins at 5 p.m. Live auction begins at 6 p.m.Hundreds of items and gift certificates will be on the block to benefit local students. Refreshments will be available. Click here to preview a list of auction items.

For information on how to donate to the auction, contact the NIE coordinator at 410-857-8554 or gwen.welty@carrollcountytimes.com.

Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express and checks payable to Community Foundation of Carroll County/NIE will be accepted. For more information contact the NIE Coordinator at 410-857-8554 or gwen.welty@carrollcountytimes.com.

20081031 CCT NIE Fundraiser Nov 6 2008

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/info/nie/fundraisers/

Forget it, old people. No more TV for you starting in 2009.

Forget it, old people. No more TV for you starting in 2009.



Hat Tip: B5



Cable PSA



Talkshow with Spike Feresten



value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/sHvYdduH4i5nXRdHvmWJVA">

20081030 Forget it old people No more TV for you

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Washington Post editorial says No to slots … and so do I

Washington Post editorial says No to slots … and so do I

Sunday, October 19, 2008 – October 27, 2008

Hat Tip: Delusional Duck Maryland Southern Maryland

The Washington Post published an editorial on Sunday, October 19, 2008 that argued “No” to slots in the upcoming referendum to be held in Maryland on November 4th, 2008.

I think this is how I will be voting also. In spite of personal reservations about slots; I believe that I could’ve supported some of the formulations offering slots in Maryland under the previous administration.

At least I could’ve closed my eyes, held my breath, pinched my nose, and pushed the green button.

I happen to be old enough to remember slots and members of my family viewed them as harmless entertainment – and by and large, it was just that.

I never saw the ills that slots created for society and yet as I grew older I began to see that slots are a huge potential for harm to the fabric of the community.

Earlier proposals had more benefits than harms. I liked the revenue for agriculture and education and I certainly liked the jobs creation.

However, the current proposal is not very attractive in that there is not enough upside to the proposal to overcome the downside.

Overlooking for the moment that it places slots in the Maryland constitution where it does not belong; it appears that little of the revenue will go to help agriculture, or more specifically, the horse industry; way too little goes to education and too much goes to the general revenue fund coffers of Maryland state government.

Maryland state government already has a pathological spending addiction and the current legislation only fuels the problem as opposed to what a dedicated fund for ag and education would provide.

And there’s the rub.

Anyway, the Washington Post says: No on Maryland Slots:

Voters should oppose a referendum that would bring the machines -- and a host of maladies -- back to the state.

Sunday, October 19, 2008; B06

ON JULY 1, 1968, the last slot machines were wheeled out of the taverns and diners that dotted a stretch of Southern Maryland known as Little Vegas. Maryland banned the machines because they fostered crime and corruption and drained money from the poor. In the 40 years since, the lever on the side of the machine has given way to a button on the front, but the scourges ushered in by slots are the same.

Supporters of a Nov. 4 referendum that would restore slots to Maryland paper over these memories with dollar bills. Slots, they promise, will plug Maryland's $430 million budget gap, revive the faltering horse-racing industry and inject needed cash into schools. Marylanders shouldn't fall for this neon mirage.

[…]

Maryland had the good sense to rid itself of the machines 40 years ago, and voters should continue to resist the glow of slot machines and the false promise of pain-free revenue they represent.

[…]


Read the entire editorial here: No on Maryland Slots

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/18/AR2008101801534.html

20081019 Washington Post editorial says No to slots

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

What is happening at the Westminster Shopping Center?


What is happening at the Westminster Shopping Center?

July 11, 2008

Update: photo – October 28, 2008

Many folks have asked what is happening with the portion of the Westminster Shopping Center at the corner of Englar Road and Rte 140.

Sometime ago, the two back-to-back gas stations, that were located there, were torn down.

Then the area was fenced off and nothing has happened since.

Now anyone who knows anything about shopping centers knows that things often happen at break-neck glacier speed; so many of us thought nothing of it for a while.

I asked around and no one seemed to know anything. I thought of calling the owners, the Washington Real Estate Investment Trust (WRIT) – and well - I lost track of it. There are only so many hours in the day.

My experience with the WRIT is that they are usually very accessible – I just never got around to calling them.

And then the other night I was rummaging around the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) website researching another matter and there it was: “Facts about Westminster Citgo and Shopping Center Voluntary Cleanup Program.”

Apparently they are cleaning-up the site before they move forward… Which is a good thing.

I’ll paste the information from the MDE website below, but first some very brief reference material on the shopping center: “StoreTrax” deck sheet on the Westminster Shopping Center (retrieved July 10th, 2008):

Westminster Shopping Center, Route 140 & Englar Road, Westminster, MD
Details: County: Carroll, Type: Community, Built: 1958, Renovated: 2000: Westminster Shopping Center went through a complete redevelopment in 2000. Medium Boxes and Small Sites available for National Tenants. Total Square Feet: 176,692

Washington Real Estate Investment Trust 6110 Executive Blvd. Suite 800 Rockville, MD 20852

Leasing Agent(s) Steve Krupinski, 301-255-0846 phone, 301-984-9612 faxskrupinski@writ.com

http://www.storetrax.com/stx/showNAProperty.do?centerId=811&type=1&st_inc=no

MDE Facts about Westminster Citgo and Shopping Center Voluntary Cleanup Program

October 30, 2007

Page 1
Maryland Department of the Enviroment
1800 Washington Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21230-1718 www.mde.state.md.us
410-537-3000 800-633-6101 TTY Users: 800-735-2258

Facts About…

Department of the Environment
WESTMINSTER CITGO AND SHOPPING CENTER
(VOLUNTARY CLEANUP PROGRAM)

Site Location

The Westminster Citgo and Shopping Center property consists of two parcels totaling 10.84-acres located at the southeast corner of Route 140 and Englar Road in Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland. The property is a strip mall shopping center with several stand-alone buildings and paved parking areas. Overland flow from the property discharges to the southeast. The Town of Westminster supplies water and sanitary sewer services to the property and the vicinity. The Town of Westminster derives the majority of their potable water from groundwater and the Westminster Citgo property is located in the wellhead protection area. The property is zoned business. Other commercial properties surround the property.

Site History

Prior to 1958, the property was used for agricultural purposes, and in 1958, the property was developed into a shopping center. A dual operator service station was located on the property as early as 1959 and the associated building was demolished in 2006.

The current owner, Washington Real Estate Investment Trust, purchased the property from Westminster Shopping Center, Inc. in 1972.

In 1957, Westminster Shopping Center, Inc. purchased the property from Scott and Anita Bair who purchased it in 1955. Prior to 1955, the Albaugh and Babylon Grocery Company owned the property.

Environmental Investigations and Actions

Two service stations operated at the property from 1959 until 2006. Numerous underground storage tanks have historically been associated with the service stations. These tanks have all been removed from the property with the exception of one 8,000-gallon tank that was abandoned in place in 1989. During tank removal in 2006, petroleum contamination was noted in the soil and groundwater. Contaminated soils, totaling 322 tons, were also removed during the tank excavations. A Phase II investigation was conducted subsequently and revealed additional petroleum soil impacts and contamination of groundwater at the property.

An Oil Control Program (OCP) case was opened for the property (#2005-0945-CL). In November 2006, the OCP approved a work plan for the property that required additional sampling. In April 2007, the OCP requested an interim corrective action plan be developed to address the petroleum contamination at the property. The request also includes quarterly sampling of the groundwater from the existing monitoring wells.
Page 2

1800 Washington Boulevard Baltimore, MD 21230-1718 www.mde.state.md.us
410-537-3000 800-633-6101 TTY Users: 800-735-2258

Current Status

On August 20, 2007, Washington Real Estate Investment Trust submitted two Voluntary Cleanup Program applications for the property seeking a restricted no further requirements determination for the shopping center and certificate of completion for the service station for commercial future uses of the property.
Planned or Potential Future Action

The proposed future use of the property will be commercial.

Contact

Jim Carroll
Maryland Department of the Environment
(410) 537-3437
Land Restoration Program
Last Update: October 30, 2007

http://www.mde.state.md.us/assets/document/Westminster%20Citgo%20and%20Shopping%20Cntr.pdf.

20080711 What is happening at the Westminster Shopping Center?
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)

Friday, October 24, 2008

Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn On the Lights? By Orson Scott Card

Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn On the Lights? By Orson Scott Card

When I wrote Journalistic Bubble Wrap in The Tentacle on October 15, 2008 -

One of the hottest subplots to the 2008 presidential campaign is how would the contest, the polls and the final outcome have looked if the “old – elite” media had not been so biased towards the Democratic Party in general and specifically the Democrat nominee, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

I wish I had written it as well as when Orson Scott Card wrote Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn On the Lights?

Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn On the Lights?

October 5, 2008 - Featured on Rush Limbaugh 10/22/08


http://www.ornery.org/essays/warwatch/2008-10-05-1.html

Editor's note: Orson Scott Card is a Democrat and a newspaper columnist, and in this opinion piece he takes on both while lamenting the current state of journalism.

An open letter to the local daily paper — almost every local daily paper in America:

I remember reading All the President's Men and thinking: That's journalism. You do what it takes to get the truth and you lay it before the public, because the public has a right to know.

This housing crisis didn't come out of nowhere. It was not a vague emanation of the evil Bush administration.

It was a direct result of the political decision, back in the late 1990s, to loosen the rules of lending so that home loans would be more accessible to poor people. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were authorized to approve risky loans.

What is a risky loan? It's a loan that the recipient is likely not to be able to repay.

The goal of this rule change was to help the poor — which especially would help members of minority groups. But how does it help these people to give them a loan that they can't repay? They get into a house, yes, but when they can't make the payments, they lose the house — along with their credit rating.

They end up worse off than before.

This was completely foreseeable and in fact many people did foresee it. One political party, in Congress and in the executive branch, tried repeatedly to tighten up the rules. The other party blocked every such attempt and tried to loosen them.

Furthermore, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were making political contributions to the very members of Congress who were allowing them to make irresponsible loans. (Though why quasi-federal agencies were allowed to do so baffles me. It's as if the Pentagon were allowed to contribute to the political campaigns of Congressmen who support increasing their budget.)

Isn't there a story here? Doesn't journalism require that you who produce our daily paper tell the truth about who brought us to a position where the only way to keep confidence in our economy was a $700 billion bailout? Aren't you supposed to follow the money and see which politicians were benefiting personally from the deregulation of mortgage lending?

I have no doubt that if these facts had pointed to the Republican Party or to John McCain as the guilty parties, you would be treating it as a vast scandal. "Housing-gate," no doubt. Or "Fannie-gate."

Instead, it was Senator Christopher Dodd and Congressman Barney Frank, both Democrats, who denied that there were any problems, who refused Bush administration requests to set up a regulatory agency to watch over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and who were still pushing for these agencies to go even further in promoting sub-prime mortgage loans almost up to the minute they failed.

As Thomas Sowell points out in a TownHall.com essay entitled "Do Facts Matter?" (
http://snipurl.com/457townhall_com] ): "Alan Greenspan warned them four years ago. So did the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers to the President. So did Bush's Secretary of the Treasury."

These are facts. This financial crisis was completely preventable. The party that blocked any attempt to prevent it was ... the Democratic Party. The party that tried to prevent it was ... the Republican Party.

Yet when Nancy Pelosi accused the Bush administration and Republican deregulation of causing the crisis, you in the press did not hold her to account for her lie. Instead, you criticized Republicans who took offense at this lie and refused to vote for the bailout!


Read the rest here: Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn On the Lights?


20081005 Would the Last Honest Reporter Please Turn On the Lights? By Orson Scott Card

My three part series on the current economic mess in The Tentacle


My three part series on the current economic mess in The Tentacle


Folks have been asking where they can find my three-part series on the current economic mess in The Tentacle from October 1, 2 and 3, 2008.

They may be found here:

October 3, 2008
Congress and The Rattlesnake – Part 3
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On May 13, 2008, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama compared the current housing crisis in the U.S. to the Great Depression in a campaign stop in Missouri.


October 2, 2008
Congress and The Rattlesnake – Part 2
Kevin E. Dayhoff
For several weeks the nation and the world have been watching the financial news emanating from Washington and Wall Street with that “deer in headlights” look as everyone holds their breath in disbelief and worries another shoe will drop.


October 1, 2008
Congress and the Rattlesnake – Part 1
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In response to the increasing wrath of the American voter, the U.S. House of Representatives came to its senses on Monday and voted 288 to 205 to kill the rash and ill-conceived proposed $700 billion bailout of Wall Street.

20081003 My three part series on the current economic mess in The Tentacle

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken

Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken

October 23, 2008
I’m not sure when Orson Scott Card said this; however the following quote ought to be an everyday mantra for anyone in the public spotlight.

It is certainly a thought that many in the blogosphere ought to take to heart…

It reminds me of the great admonition that I often repeated to myself when I was an elected official – although critics will suggest that I, all too often did not follow my own advice enough: “Never miss an opportunity to sit down and shut up.”

"Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken." Attributed to Orson Scott Card

20081023 Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken

http://www.ornery.org/

Monday, October 20, 2008

New York Times Op-Ed Contributor: “Buy American. I Am.” by Warren E. Buffett

“Buy American. I Am.” by Warren E. Buffett

New York Times Op-Ed Contributor October 17, 2008 Omaha

THE financial world is a mess, both in the United States and abroad. Its problems, moreover, have been leaking into the general economy, and the leaks are now turning into a gusher. In the near term, unemployment will rise, business activity will falter and headlines will continue to be scary.

So ... I’ve been buying American stocks…

[…]

A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful…

[…]

A little history here: During the Depression, the Dow hit its low, 41, on July 8, 1932. Economic conditions, though, kept deteriorating until Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in March 1933. By that time, the market had already advanced 30 percent. Or think back to the early days of World War II, when things were going badly for the United States in Europe and the Pacific. The market hit bottom in April 1942, well before Allied fortunes turned. Again, in the early 1980s, the time to buy stocks was when inflation raged and the economy was in the tank. In short, bad news is an investor’s best friend. It lets you buy a slice of America’s future at a marked-down price.

[…]


Read Mr. Buffet’s entire Op-Ed here: “Buy American. I Am.” by Warren E. Buffett

Warren E. Buffett is the chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway, a diversified holding company.

20081017 New York Times Op-Ed Contributor: “Buy American. I Am.” by Warren E. Buffett

We had joy, we had fun, we had sidewalks in the sun


I'm writing this week's column within feet of the Atlantic Ocean in Nags Head, N.C.

And I mean, literally, "feet from the ocean." Our unit is one of the older ones built here and was, in hindsight, probably too close to the water. Yet it has managed to not yet be washed into the sea.

If you listen carefully while reading this, that is the sound of the ocean in the background.

Life is so hard ...

Many folks from Carroll County vacation on the Outer Banks in places such as Duck, Kill Devil Hills, Ocracoke, Kitty Hawk, Corolla and Manteo. Of course, most people come down here in the summer. (Which is why I like the Outer Banks in the off-season. It is way less crowded.)

Of course, I can't get away from history -- the Outer Banks is rich in history, lighthouses, scenery and miles of pristine beaches.

The Banks was the site of the first attempt at an English settlement on Roanoke Island in 1585.

Nags Head was first established in the 1830s, by a planter by the name of Francis Nixon. Hotels sprang up on the Outer Banks as early as the 1838. The first oceanfront cottages were built around 1855, by an investor named Dr. W. G. Pool, who bought 50 acres of oceanfront property for $30.

During the Civil War, on Dec. 30, 1862, a gale off Cape Hatteras sank the Union ironclad USS Monitor.

The Outer Banks is also where Orville and Wilbur Wright became the first to pilot a mechanically driven, heavier than air, machine about 120 feet, for 12 seconds, on Dec. 17, 1903.

OK, that's enough out-of-Carroll history. Many readers might be surprised to learn that Westminster was promoted 120 years ago as a summer vacation destination.

A promotional piece published by Vanderford Bros. on Jan. 1, 1887, and called to my attention by historian Jay Graybeal, included a section entitled, "(Westminster) as a Summer Resort"

Those who have been following recent discussions in Westminster Common Council meetings about efforts to maintain our streets would be fascinated to learn that the current struggle is not new. The 1887 promotion read, in part:

"The streets are lighted by gas, and are wide and straight. They have recently been graded and the sidewalks been relaid to conform to a uniform grade.

"On several of the outlying streets, much new paving has been done, and the work will begin anew in the spring. A proposition for paving the beds of the streets has been considered for some time, and the Mayor and Common Council, by a vote of the people, are authorized to have the work done when a suitable plan is decided upon ..."

"In short, Westminster is a live town, filled with an active, industrious, and thrifty population, that is unsurpassed for intelligence, skill and business energy.

"Altogether there is no more desirable place for business, for a comfortable, healthful and convenient permanent residence, or for the summer's sojourn, than Westminster."

All we need is a lighthouse.

Read the entire column here: We had joy, we had fun, we had sidewalks in the sun

http://explorecarroll.com/community/1289/we-had-joy-we-had-fun-we-had-sidewalks-sun/
20081019 SCE Westminster as a summer resort
20081019 SCE We had joy we had fun we had com/ sidewalks in the sun sceked
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.
Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

War driving in Nags Head NC – The Scream

Monday, October 20, 2008




War driving in Nags Head NC – The Scream
October 10 – 19, 2008
http://www.kevindayhoff.net/

I spent the week of October 10-19, 2008 in Nags Head on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in a unit that did not have internet access. To find wireless service, we had to go war driving. It was maddening.

I’m back home now – and I’m fine. Really I am. I’m told the twitching will stop soon…

20081019 War driving in Nags Head NC The Scream
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Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Washington Times Editorial: What is ACORN?


The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, better known as ACORN, is under investigation by state and federal authorities for its voter registration drives. Allegations are that ACORN's get-out-the-vote efforts have produced thousands of fraudulent registrations. The probes are encouraging; America wouldn't be in position to criticize other nations of ballot-stuffing if it permits the same at home. What's most encouraging, though, is that House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio is calling for ACORN to be defunded. "The latest allegations of voter registration fraud by ACORN are further evidence that this group cannot be trusted with another dollar of the taxpayers' money," he said.

ACORN helped make the term "affordable housing" a Washington staple. So as the roots of the financial crisis are laid bare, take a hard look at ACORN.

ACORN has its roots in the community-organization teachings of Saul Alinsky, who mobilized Chicago's stockyard workers in the 1930s. The organization was founded as the Arkansas Community Organizations for Reform Now by Wade Rathke, a protege of George Wiley, the civil-rights activist who later engineered the Poor People's Campaign with his founding of the National Welfare Reform Organization. After fighting for "motor-voter" registration in the 1990s, which allowed people to register to vote at departments of motor vehicles, ACORN began expanding its voter registration activities. Since 2004 it has come under scrutiny for producing thousands of fraudulent registrations, and 15 employees intent on exploiting their pay-per-registration policy to make money have been indicted or convicted of voter registration fraud. But it didn't start out that way.

If the political left is an abstract concept for social justice and socialist sentiments, then ACORN is its avatar.

[…]


Read the entire editorial here: Washington Times Editorial: What is ACORN?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/oct/10/what-is-acorn/

20081010 Washington Times Editorial What is ACORN?