This'n'That, October 22nd

Support The Troops A regular column in Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle is "Northeast Notes." The columnist, Karen Siegelman writes about happenings in the northeast quadrant of the city as well as northern and eastern suburbs. Today's column deals with civilians sending "care packages" to troops overseas, primarily in Iraq and Afganistan. Ms Siegelman cites a local lady, Tracy Small who supports the Adopt-A-Platoon program, which was created at Fort Drum in Watertown, N.Y., in 1992. The sponsor of a platoon can do as much or as little as they want/can afford. The main requirement is that the sponsor support the soldiers with communication and support "from home." Anyone interested can contact one of the original organizers, Mike Plummer. Mike can be contacted at: plummike@aol.com or write to him at AUSA, P.O. Box 3, Watertown, N.Y., 13601. Palin Gets "Anal Exam" Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, Vice Presidential nominee, is getting the expected "anal exam" by the press, namely the Associated Press. Mrs Palin [surprise,surprise!! a Republican] is being scrutinized for taking her children on official state trips and having the State of Alaska pay for the kids' transportation and accomodations. "Palin has charged the state $21,012 for her three daughters' 64 one-way and 12 round-trip commercial flights since she took office in December 2006. In some other cases, she has charged the state for hotel rooms for the girls." The legality and ethical position of the aformentioned state paid travel IS NOT THE POINT!! The point is..... WHERE IS THE SAME SCRUTINY OF O-BOMB-A and THE DOLT?? Rather than spend "tonsa time" listing all the specifics of investigations I'd like to see conducted with respect to both democrat candidates public and private lives since taking their current offices, shouldn't the democrats be accorded the same "courtesy?" Guess we should NOT HOLD OUR BREATH, waiting FOR THAT TO HAPPEN!!!

This'n'That;October 20th

Have Ya Ever Been on Social Security? I now am on it..... having started it several months ago at the "grand ol' age" of 62. There's a well hidden secret about it. My cash benefit is just under $1k/month. Last month I get this form to fill out. They wanna know-by the month, how much I've been earning at my regular job. That's when I find out that the Social Security Administration restricts my non-SS earnings to less than $14k/yr. I've been paying into the system since I was 15 years old, when I started picking potatoes and hand-setting type at a newspaper.....THAT'S 47 YEARS !!! IS THAT STUPID, OR WHAT??? With the Democrats in power and they-the party that never has found a tax they couldn't increase or a "give-away" program they couldn't fund/start-they should want me to work as much as I can!!!! The more I work, the more tax money they can piss away!!! My increased labor means increased payments to both the IRS and SSA!!! WHADDA BUNCHA IDIOTS!!!!! Wanna Know More About ACORN?? Originally, their philosophy was to promote their cause[s] on a national or global level. They've since changed their focus to the local. The change has proven to be ingenious!! The political culture of cities tends to be further to the left than the nation as a whole, thus less resistant to ACORN's views. City and county legislators as well as local and regional reporters tend to be less sophiisticated than their national counterparts, hence slower to grasp ACORN'S level of radicialism. The local business communities are generally disorganized, the membership focused on world and national affairs rather than the trivial details of local, regional politics. With this local view, ACORN has managed to have laws enacted by local governments that the federal government would only laugh at and "shoo them away." ACORN's strategy seems to be that if they can get enough idiotic laws enacted in enough communities, they essentially will have a "national policy." Mitch Klein, a top ACORN organizer working with the Baltimore chapter, perfected it's in-your-face aggressiveness. He had underlings: ***Pile garbage in front of City Hall to protest the lack of services in poor neighborhoods. ***Bring huge inflated rubber sharks to disrupt a bankers' dinner. ***Stage a profanity-laced protest infront of Mayor Martin O'Malley's home. "They unloaded a busload of people shouting some pretty ugly things and scared the daylights out of my wife and kids" the angry Mayor complained. "I thought it was a pretty cruddy thing to do." ACORN is unapologetic about its tactics. "We're up in their face," an enthusiastic representative said. [Despite-or perhaps because of-the intimidation, ACORN still gets $50,000 a year from the City of Baltimore to provide housing counseling to the poor.] This belligerence increased both membership and donations at the Baltimore chapter. These increases have been instrumental in ACORN's clout at city council meetings. ACORN has successfully changed Baltimore's City Charter-redefining city council districts in ways the activists believe will make it easier to gain more control over the council. Much the same thing has evolved in the City of Sacramento, Ca., and the California state government. This chapter now has a $300,000 annual budget and has become a force in California state politics. ACORN recently pushed through legislation that makes tenent evictions more difficult. The facts are out there......... I could go on and on with references of ACORN's "heavy handed" tactics........... but what's the use?? I doubt that anyone will be able to break through "the fluff" Recent ACORN Abuses It seems that ACORN has registed the ENTIRE DALLAS COWBOYS active roster to vote......not once, but TWICE!!! Once in Nevada Once in Missouri Idn'nat special?!?!?! It seems that ACORN registered so many questionable voters in Ohio that it flooded the system!! Ohio's Secretary of State sued to get out of verifying each of 200,000 questionable voter registrations. One court gave her a date to have it done, she appealed. The next court told her she didn't have to do it!! I guess we'll be thanking O-bomb-a for the eventual fall of this, the longest lasting democracy [actually a representative republic] in history!!! What do O-bomb-a and Osama have in common?? ***They both have friends who bombed The Pentagon !!! Oh......Before I Forget Again.... For those who aren't in the Rochester, N.Y., or Salt Lake City, Ut., radio markets you probably won't know Bob Lonsberry. I listen to practically every broadcast. In Rochester at least, Bob is a celebrated radio talk show host with WHAM [1180AM] radio, where he does three hours a day [11AM-2PM, eastern]. In Salt Lake City, he broadcasts on KNRS [570AM] radio 5AM-9AM, mountain time. He also writes a daily column for his website which usually concern local [both radio markets] or national interests/concerns. At least in Rochester, he does a daily podcast [called the "Bobcast"] which deals with almost anything. Anyone who likes to listen to an intelligent, insightful individual, ya gotta check Bob out!!! www.wham1180.com www.570knrs.com www.lonsberry.com ...And Another Personality.... The Rochester radio and print market is home to several professional, semi-pro and amateur sports teams as well as hotly contested college and high school rivalries. The guy that keeps all these teams sorted out, the public informed is Bob Matthews. Bob has a pretty full workday; He's a sports reporter for the D&C, writes a sports blog for the D&C, hosts a two-hour sports call-in show on WHAM [1180AM], 6PM-8PM. He also is a contributing sports columnist for the Gannett News Service. http://php.democratandchrolicle.com/blog/sportsx/ www.wham1180.com matthews@democratandchronicle.com I'd like to quote a portion of Bob's Sunday column: Brown Set The Stage For Davis To Win Heisman Davis in turn blazed a trail for future black recipients of the prized trophy. Jim Brown helped Syracuse University recruit Ernie Davis. I wonder if Brown helped Davis become the first African-American to win the Heisman Trophy. Davis is getting some long overdue recognition with the release of The Express, the movie about the life and times of two-time All-American who died at age 23 of leukemia before he could play in the NFL. Brown, who played nine stellar seasons with the Cleveland Browns and arguably was the all-time greatest NFL player, played three seasons at Syracuse. He didn't win the Heisman Trophy and didn't receive nearly as many votes as he should have in his 1956 senior year, possibly because he's black. Brown rushed for 986 yards in only eight regular season games, scored 14 touchdowns, kicked 22 extra points and intercepted 3 passes that season. He led the nation in Yards-per-carry [6.2] and had seven 100-yard rushing games. With a bowl bid on the line in the season finale, he scored an NCAA-record 43 points in a 61-7 victory over Colgate. But Brown finished a distant fifth in Heisman Trophy balloting. He was first in the East [there were five regions] and fifth in the South, but received only 118 first-place votes for winner Paul Hornung of Notre Dame. SU was 7-2 that season, including a 28-27 loss to TCU in the Cotton Bowl. Notre Dame was 2-8 and outscored 289-130. Hornung threw 3 TD passes and 13 interceptions, averaged 4.5 yards per carry and kicked 14 extra points. Some observers said he won the Heisman for career achievement. Hornung had a Pro Football Hall of Fame career with the Green Bay Packers, but he was no Jim Brown. No one was-including the three other players who outpolled him for the Heisman Trophy in 1956 [ Johnny Majors, Tommy McDonald, and Jerry Tubbs]. Davis played for Syracuse from 1959 through 1961. By then Brown had established himself as the best player in the NFL. Davis was the star running back on SU's national championship team in 1959 but didn't finish in the top 10 for the Heisman Trophy. He also failed t o make the top 10 in 1960. His senior year wasn't the best of his collegiate career, but he won the Heisman Trophy in a close vote over Ohio State fullback Bob Ferguson, who had the luxury of sharing the running load with lightnine-and-thunder halfbacks Paul Warfield and Matt Snell. SU coach Ben Schwartzwalder said the award to Davis was "a tribute to his three years really, not just one." If Horning diserved the Heisman in 1956, Davis more than deserved it in 1961. I wonder if Brown's instant success in the NFL had any influence at all on Heisman voters who passed on him in 1956 to give Davis his just due in 1961. Brown and Davis played for the same school and Davis left his footbal idol in the dust in yards per carry. Brown averaged 5.2 yards and rushed for 666 yards for 5-3 SU in 1955 and averaged 6.2 yards and rushed for 986 yards for 7-1 SU in 1956 [not including the Cotton Bowl loss to TCU]. Davis' numbers [regular season]: 1959---98 carries for 686 yards; 7.0 yards per carry; 8 TDs. Syracuse was 10-0 in the regular season and Davis was Cotton Bowl MVP [a 23-14 win over Texas]. 1960---112 carries for 877 yards; 7.8 yards per carry; 8 TDs; SU was 7-2. 1961---150 carries for 823 yards; 5.5 yards per carry; 12 TDs; SU was 7-3 in the regular season and Davis was Liberty Bowl MVP [a 15-14 win over Miami]. Brown blazed the trail for Davis at SU and Davis blazed the trail for tuture black Heisman Trophy winners. Black players have won the Heisman Trophy 27 of the last 47 years. Ernie Davis always will be the first. Imagine the time involved just in doing the research for this portion of his Sunday column!!! Nearly all his columns are this "stastic-loaded!!!" Check 'em out if ya have the chance!!! Til nex'time......

This'n'That; October 8th

Giving Credit Where Credit's Due: This time I have to "hold my nose" and Give Representative Louise Slaughter her due. Mrs Slaughter, Thanks for your support of HR6630 which called for the cessation of cross-border trucking activities by Mexican national trucking companies. Your "Yea" vote essentially halted the cross-border pilot program which was called for in the ill-conceived NAFTA Agreement. As a LIFETIME Member of "Owner Operator Independent Drivers Ass'n [OOIDA]" I and my nearly 161,000 fellow members thank you for your support of America's trucking industry. In future legislation, please consider that EVERYTHING except newborn babies travels by truck at one time or another!!! [A letter to this affect, will go out in tomorrow's mail to Mrs Slaughter in Washington.] Can He Be "For Real??" Did anyone MISS the presidential debates last evening. I was only able to see a small portion of it... I gotta tellya..... I was not that impressed with Obama [and NEVER HAVE BEEN]!!! Seems to me MOST OF AMERICA's younger set is mesmerized by all the "fluff".... and not considering that it takes more than appearance and a good line of "bullshit" to run the most powerful country on the planet!! The Obama supporters are setting their sights too high !!! ..... and Obama, while basking in all the adulation, is setting himself up to "fall on his face" either after the election or after the inauguration!!! How can he be expected to control the vast US governmental structure with only 142 days of federal experience?? How can he be expected to advise and support an economic engine without at least a basic, working knowledge of Econ101?? How can he be expected to formulate and administer a multi-trillion dollar budget, having never "worked for wages," made a payroll, etc?? How can he be expected to win the confidence of foreign leaders [other than the Taliban, of course!!] when he takes such "liberties with the truth"?? How can he be expected to "follow the rules" when he both ignores them and renigs on his promises? How can he be expected to assemble a formidable cabinet when his current advisors are the likes of Jeremiah Wright and William Ayres?? Hopefully, the voting public will do some research and soul searching...... Anybody Hear About "Doodad Pro??" The Village of Nunda [NoneDAY], N.Y. is a small burg south and a little west of Rochester, N.Y. His listed address is shared with "Lloyd and Lynn's Liquor Store" in the village. His $17,130.oo in campaign contributions flagrantly violated the federal $2,300 per-person limit. "Mr Pro" made several hundred donations in the two amounts of $10 and $25. Would the Obama Campaign have discovered this "error" on their own if it had not been pointed out in the national media??.....by the Federal Election Commission?? Anyone Hear About "Good Will??" The nonprofit Goodwill Industries shares the address-1015 Norwood Park Boulevard, Austin, Tx.-with "Mr Good Will." "Mr Good Will" made more than $11,000.00 in campaign contributions, again far exceeding the federal $2,300 limit. Would the Obama Campaign have discovered this "error" on their own if it had not bee pointed out in the national media??....by the Federal Election Commission?? Your "BIAS" Is Showing: The Democrat and Chronicle, a member of the Gannett Media people, is one of the primary print outlets in western New York. It's home delivery system reaches nearly to the Pennsylvania border!! Nunda, N.Y., is approximately 55 miles from their "front door" at 55 Exchange Blvd., Rochester, N.Y., 14614. Yet ABSOLUTELY NO information about "Doodad Pro" was in their publication despite the fact that the village is well within their delivery range!!! THE PAPER DID REPORT that Obama had received 70% more contributions than McCain in the "local" area. The part that they left out: McCain adhered to his promise to live by the federal donations restrictions to receive federal funds, while Obama renigged on his promise to do the same!!! Looks like the McCain Campaign has had to refuse/return lotsa contributions to stay within the federal limits. Til nex'time.......