Ain't That the Shizzle?

I guess the liberals only protect the religious freedom of those "preferred" religions, like Islam...

Amish Men Say They Won’t Pay FIne or Appeal Outhouses Offenses

By SANDRA K. REABUCK
The Tribune-Democrat

HASTINGS — Two Amish men were convicted Thursday of summary criminal offenses for having two unpermitted outhouses at a Barr Township school and for dumping the waste illegally.

Landowner Andy Swartzentruber and Sam Yoder, an elder in the Amish sect in charge of the school, were fined $1,000 each, plus costs, by District Judge Michael Zungali. The judge warned them that they would face up to 90 days in jail unless they paid.

Swartzentruber and Yoder, who represented themselves at the hearing, said they would neither appeal nor pay.

If no appeal is made, Zungali said he will set up a payment plan. If no payment is made, Zungali then could impose the jail sentence, which also could be appealed to county court.

The charges were filed by the county sewage enforcement agency, which said the outhouses use buckets instead of a tank that is legally emptied, and the raw waste is being dumped onto farm fields.

The defendants, members of the ultraconservative Swartzentruber sect, said the requirements violate their First Amendment rights to freedom of religion.

Officials contend accommodations can be made but that the defendants had not cooperated.

For example, the state allowed an Amish sect to use a hydraulic pump instead of an electrical pump to remove the waste.

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I'm So Sitting In The Front Row!!!!

A guy can dream, can't he? Read Full Text/Comments

Political Odd Couple

The Intelligencer

LAST WEEK MONTGOMERY County Democratic Commissioner Joe Hoeffel told fellow Republican Commissioner Bruce Castor, “You’re acting like a little boy on the playground who was not selected quarterback so you’re taking your ball and going home.”

There are probably a lot of days when Castor would like to take his ball and go home. It’s been like that in the few months since he was elected one of the county’s two majority GOP commissioners along with Jim Matthews.

It’s not unusual to see commissioners of different parties sniping at each other. What is strange is that Hoeffel the Democrat and Matthews the Republican have forged an alliance that has left Castor the odd man out, a majority commissioner in name only, as it were.

What sparked Hoeffel’s playground analogy is an economic development plan that he and Matthews set in motion by voting to establish a 22- member task force that will help establish the direction for the county’s policy. Castor voted against the action, saying he was only given the list of task force members late Wednesday before the Thursday vote and that he does not know most of the people on it. When Hoeffel said Castor was given weeks to suggest his own names ˜ and told his colleague he “must be sadly out of touch if you don’t recognize these names”, Castor said he offered no names because doing so would have validated the plan, which he called “a sham.”

Hoeffel and Matthews favor a countywide approach to economic development; Castor wants something on a smaller scale. Of course the charge of politics is being tossed around.

Some people may find it entertaining to see Montgomery County’s version of the political odd couple calling the shots in Norristown. As long as good government isn’t sacrificed, having the recognized watchdog on the board of commissioners being from the majority party isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It appears Castor, rather than Hoeffel, is destined to be the commissioner cast in what is ordinarily the minority party representative’s role.

Disillusioned voters will have to pay special attention: What they have in the courthouse is not what they voted for last November. Read Full Text/Comments

James Rex, the Movie

Scene 1: December 17, 2007. Ray's Diner. 9:00 a.m.

Bob Kerns: "Jim, don't do it. Don't let down your supporters, the committee, all your donors, and the voters. Please reconsider. It is not too late."

(soon to be) King James, III: "I know my poltitcal career is over. I'm not running for anything again. I know this will kill the party. I don't care. It's a quality of life thing. I was very unhappy with Marino and Ellis. I am not finishing up that way. A quality of life thing."

Scene 2: Four months later...

King James III ponders his quality of life, now...Marino and Ellis didn't always agree with him, but they never spent every waking moment making his life Hell. King James is now a pariah within the county party. He has no respect among the county workers, he is the butt of jokes in statewide GOP circles. No candidate wants to be endorsed by him for any office. Just being identified in the media as "the Matthews choice" for any office dooms that office seeker. Perhaps the most well-known and trusted political figure in the county relentlessly seeks ways to make life miserable for His Majesty, delights in doing so, and will never stop attacking.

Scene 3: Montage

In social settings, people are becoming more and more confrontational. El turdo has to force himself on people to get acknowledgement...even resorting to "shake-rape". Gets his brother to have MCDC shairman, Marcel Groen, on "Hardball"- forming yet another alliance with a top democrat.

Scene 4: Friday, April 25, 2008...North Hills Country Club

Sipping his 5th Dewar's in as many minutes, James the Turd ponders...I thought these people still liked me. Yeah, that's right...they do. I'm here because they don't serve Dewar's next door....riiiiiiight.

Think again...

Just how is that quality of life, Jimbo?

Screenplay by: Juanada Tree Kmisczs
Director: Sweet Willie Dozer

Cast:
King James the Turd: Chris "Corky" Burke
Joe Hoeffel: Tim Robbins
Bruce Castor: Arnold Schwartzenegger
Chris Mathews: Frank Calliendo
Bob Kerns: Charleton Heston (in his last, great role)
Writemarsh Editor Bill Shaw: Drew Carey

Related: Obama Loss & The Matthews Effect April 24 2008

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Goodly Works, Done by Goodly People

My good friend and confidant, Brian Miles, has held a fundraiser the last two years, in honor of his father, Ron, who succumbed to prostate cancer a few years ago.

Last year, the family-run "Ron Miles Foundation" gave $10,000 to the Montgomery Hospital Hospice, who was instrumental in making Mr. Miles last days as comfortable as they possibly could.

The Miles Family held it's 2nd annual event in February, and was able to acheive even haughtier goals this year. They increased their charitable output by 50%, and was able to give the Hospice a $12,000 check. They added another beneficiary of their generocity, Crossing the Finish Line", who received $3,000 from the RMF. "Crossing the Finish Line" is a charity organization whose main purpose is to give new cancer patients a chance to live a little when the outlook isn't so rosy. Kind of like Hospice care for the beginning patient, with the emphasis
on living, rather than the alternative.

.

My family was invited to share in the day of giving, Monday, April 21, 2008 at the presentation of the checks to the deserving organizations. As the creator of the "big checks" that the family presented. I was both proud and humbled that the Miles family would have me share a very special day with them.

God Bless the Miles Family...they do His goodly work!

*****UPDATE*****

For more Information on the Ron Miles Memorial Fund, click:

www.ronmilesfund.org

B. Read Full Text/Comments

Totals from Writemarsh!, West-1

Not unlike Alex C from PA Watercooler, I spent most of the day at my poll...I took a 2 hour respite to get off my feet, as I came to the polls right from my job (with a stop for a shower and fresh clothes).

The results of my day?

374 voters (of 1217 registered) showed up. Hillary! got 155 votes (52.54%), Obamessiah! got 140 (47.46%)...pretty close, considering there were only 3 undervotes for POTUS.

My wife, (the lovely) Karen and I both ran for re-election to Committee, Karen receiving one more vote than i, 56 to 55 votes. 75 republicans bothered to show up to vote...I guess they couldn't be bothered to vote their way to the bottom, as there were 18 undervotes for my wife, 18 undervotes for myself, with one joker writing himself in for committeeman, which puzzles me because I don't know him personally, so there's no way I could have pissed him off.

Everyone I got absentee ballots for voted and got counted, which is good.

It was a very long day, ending at the Blue Bell Inn, courtesy of our future chairman, Robert Kerns, Esquire. A couple of JD/Rocks (I know, I know...I prefer it "neat", but, I was alone and had to drive home, hence the watered down drinks) and it was time to head home. I arrived home at 12 midnight, after a run of 34 hours up, with a 2 hour half-nap.

In my world, that's politcs as usual.

Happy day after election day!

C'mon May 8th! Read Full Text/Comments

Amazing

Something amazing happened over the weekend, while I was away. My blog registered 5000 hits ( and then some).

I owe it to all of you, the readers, that I have hit this milestone.

I will continue to do my best to inform and entertain you.

It's amazing what happens when you're sitting in a boat, catfishing. ( I got my limit and am having a good, ol' fashioned fish fry on Thursday...complete with hush puppies!)

Thanks again!

B.

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In Response to:

Anonymous, who left me a message at this post questioning why I haven't commented, either positively or negatively on the issue surrounding the Paolino/Rogers fiasco.

I was out of town this weekend, as this story was unfolding. Camping on the northern shore of the Chesapeake, in Cecil County, MD, I wasn't afforded the luxury of electricity or a wifi link...besides, I was fishing for catfish this weekend, not blog stories.

Anyway, what could I add to this story that hasn't already been covered? How about this:

Ken Davis, in a similar move, placed himself on the ballot as Delegate to the National Convention as a write-in candidate. Next to his name, on the "official green ballot" it says "endorsed"...I am a committeeman in the 6th Congressional District. I can't recall an endorsement meeting where Ken was endorsed, by the committee, over those who made sure their petitions were filed in a timely manner...Mary Shorley and Janet Garner.

Has there been a cry of outrage over this bit of fraud? No. Why? Because Ken Davis cheats. Because Ken Davis changes the rules to benefit Ken Davis.

Ken Davis dropped the ball when circulating his petition. He placed himself on the ballot in a pitiful move to steal yet another election. In light of the Paolino incident, Ken Davis should have led by example and put the proper people on the ballot-rather than deceive the voters by calling himself endorsed.

If you live in the 6th, pull the lever for Shorley and Garner...show Ken Davis that he shouldn't go after one candidate (Paolino) for the same thing he, himself has chosen to do. Show him that we will not stand for any more of his shenanigans.

B. Read Full Text/Comments

Obama gives Hillary! "the Finger"

Watch as the Obamessiah gives the Hildebeast that subtle "Scratch your nose with the middle finger" eff-you:

Obama Gives Hillary the Finger - Watch more free videos Read Full Text/Comments

Iwo Jima Veterans Blast Time's "Special Environmental Issue" Cover

Time editor tells MSNBC 'there needs to be a real effort along the lines of World War II to combat global warming and climate change.'

(ed. note: The "Time" editor is a senseless boob)

By Jeff Poor
Business & Media Institute
4/17/2008 5:24:05 PM

For only the second time in 85 years, Time magazine abandoned the traditional red border it uses on its cover. The occasion – to push more global warming alarmism.

The cover of the April 21 issue of Time took the famous Iwo Jima photograph by Joe Rosenthal of the Marines raising the American flag and replaced the flag with a tree. The cover story by Bryan Walsh calls green “the new red, white and blue.”

Donald Mates, an Iwo Jima veteran, told the Business & Media Institute on April 17 that using that photograph for that cause was a “disgrace.”

“It’s an absolute disgrace,” Mates said. “Whoever did it is going to hell. That’s a mortal sin. God forbid he runs into a Marine that was an Iwo Jima survivor.”

Mates also said making the comparison of World War II to global warming was erroneous and disrespectful.

“The second world war we knew was there,” Mates said. “There’s a big discussion. Some say there is global warming, some say there isn’t. And to stick a tree in place of a flag on the Iwo Jima picture is just sacrilegious.”

According to the American Veterans Center (AVC), Mates served in the 3rd Marine Division and fought in the battle of Iwo Jima, landing on Feb. 24, 1945.

“A few days later, Mates’ eight-man patrol came under heavy assault from Japanese forces,” Tim Holbert, a spokesman for the AVC, said. “During fierce-hand-to-hand combat, Mates watched as his friend and fellow Marine, Jimmy Trimble, was killed in front of his eyes. Mates was severely wounded, and underwent repeated operations for shrapnel removal for over 30 years.”

Lt. John Keith Wells, the leader of the platoon that raised the flags on Mt. Suribachi and co-author of “Give Me Fifty Marines Not Afraid to Die: Iwo Jima” wasn’t impressed with Time’s efforts.

“That global warming is the biggest joke I’ve ever known,” Wells told the Business & Media Institute. “[W]e’ll stick a dadgum tree up somebody’s rear if they want that and think that’s going to cure something.”

Time managing editor Richard Stengel appeared on MSNBC April 17 and said the United States needed to make a major effort to fight climate change, and that the cover’s purpose was to liken global warming to World War II.

“[O]ne of the things we do in the story is we say there needs to be an effort along the lines of preparing for World War II to combat global warming and climate change,” Stengel said. “It seems to me that this is an issue that is very popular with the voters, makes a lot of sense to them and a candidate who can actually bundle it up in some grand way and say, ‘Look, we need a national and international Manhattan Project to solve this problem and my candidacy involves that.’ I don't understand why they don’t do that.”

Holbert, a speaking on behalf of the American Veterans Center, said the editorial decision by Time to use the photograph for the cover trivialized the cause the veterans fought for.

“Global warming may or may not be a significant threat to the United States,” Holbert said. “The Japanese Empire in February of 1945, however, certainly was, and this photo trivializes the most recognizable moment of one of the bloodiest battles in U.S. history. War analogies should be used sparingly by political advocates of all bents.”

Stengel also appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on April 17 and had no difficulty admitting the magazine needed to have a “point of view.”

“I think since I’ve been back at the magazine, I have felt that one of the things that’s needed in journalism is that you have to have a point of view about things,” Stengel said. “You can’t always just say ‘on the one hand, on the other’ and you decide. People trust us to make decisions. We’re experts in what we do. So I thought, you know what, if we really feel strongly about something let's just say so.”

Time has been banging the global warming drum for some time now. In April 2007, Time offered 51 ways to “save the planet,” which included more taxes and regulation.

(ed. note: Freakin' Communists!) Read Full Text/Comments

Judge Blocks Philadelphia From Enforcing Gun Laws New

4/17/2008, 2:28 p.m. EDT
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A judge on Thursday temporarily blocked the city from enforcing new, local gun-control laws until she hears a challenge from the National Rifle Association.

The NRA argues that state law prevents Pennsylvania municipalities from regulating guns, a view that even the city's crime-weary district attorney shares.

"The city has no basis to pass any of these gun-control ordinances and they know it," lawyer C. Scott Shields argued on the NRA's behalf.

City lawyers posit that Philadelphia can pass gun-control ordinances if the laws are outside the scope of state measures. As an example, lawyer Mark Zecca told the judge that one Pennsylvania county had banned guns at its courthouse.

Common Pleas Judge Jane Cutler Greenspan scheduled arguments for April 28. She said she would rule very quickly, although her decision is sure to be appealed by the losing side.

Among other things, the five city ordinances passed April 10 ban the sale of assault weapons; require owners to report a lost or stolen gun within 24 hours; and limit firearms purchases to one a month. They came in response to the city's one-a-day murder rate and its reputation for being a weapons source for criminals in New York and other states with strict gun laws.

Mayor Michael Nutter, who declared a "crime emergency" shortly after taking office in January, quickly signed the City Council bills into law — despite still-pending litigation over earlier gun-control efforts.

Council members Darrell L. Clarke and Donna Reed Miller sponsored a set of gun-control measures last year, then sued the Legislature to allow them to move forward. That case is pending.

In 2005, Philadelphia voters passed a nonbinding referendum — by a 4-1 ratio — imploring the state to let the city enact its own gun laws.

The court ruling that gave the state power over gun laws dates to 1974. On Tuesday, city District Attorney Lynne Abraham called the new statutes unconstitutional and said she would not enforce them.

Cutler Greenspan seemed interested in the city's argument about creating laws "outside the zone" of the state power. But she also sympathized with gun retailers who might not know what they can legally sell while the case is litigated.

Shields' clients include retailers who regularly sell assault weapons, he said.

"People have to know how to behave. They really do," Cutler Greenspan said. "I'm just trying to maintain the status quo for a very short time.

"Hopefully," she added, half under her breath, "nobody will be shot with a gun purchased (in the next few weeks)." Read Full Text/Comments

Chris Matthews is a Self Centered Boob

A very wordy article about Chris Matthews sent to me by a good friend yesterday (it took this long to read it...warning-it's long)

This paints Matthews as a self-important know-it-all...seems like that just happens to run in the family, eh, King James the

The Aria of Chris Matthews Read Full Text/Comments

Imaginary Snipers, Obama's Messianic Strain, 'Bitter' Voters

By: Peter L. DeCoursey, For The Bulletin
04/15/2008

Until last Friday, I was not able to imagine a more effective fall TV presidential campaign commercial than something like this:

"It's 2009. Terrorism. China. Russia. Iraq. Afghanistan. Iran. Do you want a president who stood up? [Picture of U.S. Sen. John McCain.] Or [picture of Clinton] a president who remembers sniper fire no one else heard, saw or remembers?"

Sure, here in Pennsylvania, Sen. McCain has a lot of 'splainin' to do, but, gosh, if you wanted a better contrast than Clinton making up a gunfire incident compared to a victim of enemy torture, I can't imagine what it would be.

Until last Friday, anyway. Then it became public that U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) made astonishingly elitist and arrogant remarks at a San Francisco fundraiser.

Sen. Obama said even when voters like his issue positions, "the truth is, is that, our challenge is to get people persuaded that we can make progress when there's not evidence of that in their daily lives. You go into some of these small towns in Pennsylvania, and like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing's replaced them. And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not. And it's not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

It is dizzying to count up all the ways that statement insults anyone not voting for Sen. Obama.

Those voters are clearly stupid, according to Sen. Obama, since they are planning to support either Sen. McCain or Sen. Clinton, who are going to fail these communities as Bush and Clinton and former President Ronald Reagan did before them.

Their inability to believe that Sen. Obama is going to be different and better than every other president is born of them being "bitter" over the failures of other politicians.

And in their bitterness, "they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations."

Geez, Sen. Obama, couldn't they just honestly, without being racist or nativist or gun nuts or whatever, just prefer another candidate for president?

Do they have to be stupid and taking refuge in racism or gun idolatry to think someone else is better than you?

Sen. Obama said Sunday that he may have misspoken, chosen his words badly, and "that it is unfortunate that in this political process, people are trying to misconstrue my words" and that Sen. Clinton is not believable mocking him as an elitist.

But he kept defending his comments, just as when he said his grandmother fearing black men on the street was the reaction of a "typical white person."

And here's the worst part: He was talking about fellow Democrats that way, dismissing as duped yahoos folks who basically agree with him.

The word for someone who thinks the world is divided into those who agree with him and those who are wrong, bitter and clinging to outdated ideas is "arrogant." And that is one of the nicer words for it.

And frankly, if you read that quote, it is more clear evidence of the messianic strain that is so bothersome about the Obama campaign.

He keeps saying that he can do things no one else has done, that he is unique in being able to do them. He says only he can unify Americans in a way no past president has done, to achieve major liberal goals a majority of the public has shot down like a skeet duck every time they are proposed.

He says he, and only he, can deliver us from the Old Politics of division and lack of progress to a New Politics of Unity.

And he has made millions of Americans get starry-eyed to the point of believing it.

But it is more than the Gospel of Obama stuff that is worrying. It is that he and any other smart person know how much of the stuff he is saying is hogwash.

No president could have or can now save manufacturing jobs from going places where they can make the same stuff more cheaply and mostly just as well.

No president makes more than a tiny difference in the economy. They are like the third base coach on a baseball team. They can lose or win a game for you, and if the team wins the World Series, they get a ring. But they are by no means, and Sen. Obama knows this, decisive in the economy.

But forget that realpolitik stuff and the messianic thing - the "only I, Barack Obama, can save America" bit - and ask yourself, what is the central premise of the Obama campaign?

It is that he is uniquely able to bring together all strains of Americans to stampede the politicians into solving our national problems: health care, education, energy and other issues.

If he is already name-calling Democrats for not voting for him, how in the world is he going to unite them, much less all Americans? By blaming their unwillingness to vote for him on past presidents? By saying they cling to guns or issues and vote against him out of bitterness? Yeah, that seems like it'll work.

Sen. Obama still leads in overall delegates and popular votes. But he has impressively closed the "idiotic statement" lead Sen. Clinton held.

Peter L. DeCoursey is Harrisburg bureau chief for Capitolwire. Read Full Text/Comments

Former democratic Jury Commissioner Gets HUGE Break:

Tavern owner placed in probation program for first-time, non-violent offenders

By MARGARET GIBBONS , Times Herald Staff

COURTHOUSE — The former Democratic Montgomery County jury commissioner, charged criminally with possessing an illegal gambling machine at a tavern she owns, yesterday was placed in a diversionary program for first-time offenders.

Montgomery County Judge Bernard A. Moore approved a request from Joanne C. Olszewski, 64, of Blue Bell and defense attorney Robert E. Goldman for placement in the county’s Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program.

ARD is a probation diversion program for first-time offenders of non-violent crimes.

The program allows offenders to clear their records after successfully completing the conditions of their probation. The program does not require a defendant to admit to a crime.

Moore directed Olszewski to serve a one-year probationary sentence, pay $1,729 in court costs, testify truthfully against any of her co-defendants if required and perform 36 hours of community service with a volunteer environmental group in Springfield Township.

Read the rest of the article here. Read Full Text/Comments

Two Things About Philly D.A. Lynn Abraham That I Find Quite Attractive...

...she's pro-death penalty and she has a brain!

Reported first at pawatercooler.com, Philly D.A Lynn Abraham has gone on record saying she will not prosecute any of the new gun laws enacted (illegally) by Philadelphia City Council last week.

Kudo's to Abraham for having more cojones than all of the boobs on city council combined.

FYI, the news reports said that the vote was unanimous...so, vote all of those bastards out next time they're up for re-election. Mickey Mouse and Goofy would do a better job at governing "the city" than those yahoos have.

In a region where 3 of the 5 district attorneys are women, it's refreshing to see that they aren't wallflowers...Lynn Abraham, Montgomery County D.A., Risa V. Ferman and Bucks County's Michelle Henry are three tough broads when it comes to the law. We're both blessed and lucky to have such dedicated public officials putting away the bad guys and, more importantly, standing up for the good guys.

B. Read Full Text/Comments

'Tip to my friend, ALEXC, at PAWatercooler who posted this ad from Dunkin Donuts for a free donut on tax day (which is today, people...get 'em filed!).

For the record, though, this is the best Dunkin Donuts commercial ever made, bar none:

Ace Frehley for Dunkin' Donuts

(I'm a huge, old school, Rock and Roll All Night and Party Everyday KISS fan!)

"I'll give you your P & L statement!"...heh

B. Read Full Text/Comments

Local Republicans Competing for Votes in Upcoming Primary

By MARGARET GIBBONS , Times Herald Staff

COURTHOUSE — Lance Rogers. Lisa Paolino.

Who are these people?

While most attention in the upcoming April 22 primary election is focussed on the high-profile Democratic presidential contest, there also are other contests on the ballot.

One of the races flying below the political radar is the Republican battle for the 17th District state Senate seat now held by retiring Democrat Connie Williams.

Rogers turned back a bid by Montgomery County Sheriff John P. Durante in securing the GOP endorsement for his candidacy.

(ed. note: Although flying "below the radar" as Gibbons puts it, there is a spark of controversy surrounding the Rogers/Paolino race):

That endorsement vote came under fire by both Durante and Paolino, who was not even on the ballot, because it only involved votes from Montgomery County GOP committee members in the 17th District.

The district includes the Montgomery County municipalities of Norristown, West Conshohocken, Bridgeport, Conshohocken, Narberth, Upper Merion, Plymouth, East Norriton and Lower Merion. It also includes the Delaware County townships of Haverford and Radnor.

Montgomery County Republican Chairman Ken Davis, a Lower Merion resident who supported Rogers’ candidacy, explained it is traditional for the county that forms the largest part of a district to make the endorsement so that endorsements are not split.

(The real threat of Paolino actually winning continues to be a thorn in the side of soon to be private citizen, Ken Davis, who penned his displeasure concerning her take on the endorsement process, in a recent letter to the editor of the Main Line Times, rebutted by Radnor GOP Committee Chair, Mimi Auchincloss, here)

“It was odd that there was a so-called endorsement process that excluded one (herself) of the three candidates and one-third of the committee people,” said Paolino, whose candidacy has received the unanimous endorsement of the Radnor GOP committee.

(Click here for audio of Ken Davis' phone message concerning the endorsement process)
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Kretschman: Purported Slumlord?

From Margaret Gibbons Saturday, April 12 Opinion column:

Is former county controller Eric S. Kretschman a slum landlord?

That is what newspapers in Washington, D.C., would have you believe.

Kretschman is vice president of a company that owns a handful of apartment complexes in Washington.

An 85-unit building in one of those complexes last month was gutted by a fire. The building had been cited 7,755 times for code violations, according to the Washington Post.

The newspaper suggested that the Kretschman company practices “eviction by neglect,” by allowing buildings to deteriorate to a point where tenants feel compelled to move out. The owner can then sell the property for a better price than was initially paid for it.

Kretschman has denied the allegations, claiming money was spent each year to improve the buildings and that the company had provided “very good housing at a very good price,” according to the Washington Post.

Kretschman is quoted in the Washington Post article:

"Company Vice President Eric Kretschman said that NWJ has not violated any laws or mistreated tenants and that he did not recall receiving notices for that many code violations. He said NWJ filed the suit against Reynolds because he did not have permission to enter the building and because the cleanup damaged the property. The suit is pending.

"Nobody is perfect, but I think we do a very good job year after year of improving these buildings," Kretschman said. "We are not the guys forcing people out. We're providing very good housing at a very good price."

For the record, on November 20, 2007,Kretschman was appointed to the Montgomery County Community College board of trustees by Montgomeryshire's own King James III. Lose out on an election (Kretschman was nosed out of the running by West Conshohocken resident and Asst. D.A. Robert Sander), get a cushy appointment by supporting James Rex.

I wonder, with his building "acquisition" business, if he gets his financing from Keegan Mortgage?

I'll report more as the story develops.

B. Read Full Text/Comments

Reader Sounds Off

The Reporter Online has feedback page not unlike the Times Heralds "2 cents" section called:

"Sound Off For Monday". (scroll halfway down)

Nice to see that the readers in the North Penn/Hatfield area are so engaged in their county government enough to "sound off" about it, still.

To those of us who think enough is enough about the traitorous vendetta of James Rex, Ruler of Montgomeryshire, I quote:

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."
George Santayana

'nuff said.

B.

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Philly restaurants Might be Required to Post Nutrition info

From The Reporter Online:

PHILADELPHIA (AP) _ A Philadelphia City Council committee has approved a bill that would require restaurant chains and other eateries to post nutrition information about the food and beverages on their menus and menu boards.

The measure would apply to chains of ten or more restaurants, as well as convenience stores, delis, bakeries, and even coffee shops.

The information to be disclosed would include calories, fat and carbs.

Supporters say the bill would give people choices about what they want to eat. Critics say the measure is too broad and cumbersome.

A final vote could come as early as May 1.
______________________________

Far be it from me to criticize Philly city council, but, c'mon already. People do not eat at chain restaurants (read: fast food) and convenience stores because the want a healthy meal...they want something that tastes good and fill "the void". For city council to take up any of the taxpayer's time and money on such a ludicrous task is both wasteful and condescending...that people cannot make up their minds about what they want to eat without a calorie chart just spits in the face of peoples good judgment and stinks of the continuing "nanny state" that Philadelphia is trying to create for itself...don't worry about a thing-Big Brother is watching out for you.

Well, Philly, you reap what you sow. If you keep electing these boobs who think they know what's better for you than you yourself do, you deserve what you get. I, on the other hand, will have the triple Whopper with extra mayo...not because it's good for me...because I'm hungry and it just tastes good...and that's good enough for me.

B.
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'Potter' Author Seeks to Block Fan Book

NEW YORK (AP) -- Author J.K. Rowling is eager to tell a judge this week that one of her biggest fans is in fantasyland if he believes a "Harry Potter" encyclopedia he plans to publish does not violate her copyrights.

The showdown between Rowling and the fan, Steven Vander Ark, is scheduled to last most of the week in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

Rowling is scheduled to testify Monday in a trial that is sure to generate huge interest among Harry Potter fans and the public. Her lawyer has arranged with the judge to have a private security guard for Rowling in the courtroom and for the author to spend breaks in the seclusion of a jury room - away from any die-hard Potter fans in attendance.

The trial comes eight months after Rowling published her seventh and final book in the widely popular Harry Potter series. The books have been published in 64 languages, sold more than 400 million copies and spawned a film franchise that has pulled in $4.5 billion at the worldwide box office. (read the rest of the story here)

Why am I posting this?

I helped, in my small way, to make this woman a billionaire. We bought the books, paid to see the movies in the theater, bought the merchandise...all of which added to Joanne (J.K.) Rowling's bottom line.

It seems that the billionaire status she enjoys just isn't enough. There is a man who has been compiling Potter facts on a website for years...a site so informative that the author herself confesses to using it for research.

That man, Steven Vander Ark (a HUGE Potter fan) has decided to turn his wealth of information into a book, basically a Harry Potter encyclopedia. And Rowling is angry. Why? She claims copywrite infringement.

My question is this: if she used his website as a research tool, why not let him publish the book and cash in on his years of hard work and diligence?

Hmmmmmm. the "Double Jeopardy" question is: What is greed, Alex?

She should endorse his book as the Official Harry Potter Encyclopedia, pen a forward to it and let the poor guy make a buck. She's come a long way from the cold water walk-up she lived in while wrting her first Potter book. Maybe she should embrace this man's work as an homage to her own and get over herself.

This may very well decide whether or not we see the last two installments of her movies or not...I'll wait for her to come to her senses. Read Full Text/Comments

SNOBAMA!

From the lips of the Snobamamessiah:

“You go into these small towns in Pennsylvania and, like a lot of small towns in the Midwest, the jobs have been gone now for 25 years and nothing’s replaced them…And they fell through the Clinton administration, and the Bush administration, and each successive administration has said that somehow these communities are gonna regenerate and they have not.

And it’s not surprising then they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”

Rather than post on this ad nauseum, I'd like you to flip over to see what my friends at pawatercooler.com to see what is being said there. Click here, and here, and here and here...then watch the video below and see if you can find yourself...It's what Snobama thinks of you, anyway:

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Vlahos Out, Kerns In

Jim Vlahos, in a classy move to promote Republican party unity, has withdrawn as a candidate for Republican Committee Chairman.

A letter will be mailed by Vlahos to all committee members tomorrow.

Tony Phyrillas has the full story here, and you can download the letter here.

Margaret Gibbons, of the Times Herald, reports on the great news here.

From Writemarsh to Mr. Vlahos:

Thank you! You've done more for party unity in one day than we've seen done in almost 4 years.

There's light at the end of the tunnel...finally!

B. Read Full Text/Comments

Kerns’ Vow: GOP HQ to Move

Party Chairman Candidate Wants
Presence Back in Norristown
By MARGARET GIBBONS , Times Herald Staff

COURTHOUSE — Lansdale lawyer Robert J. Kerns, one of two candidates vying to become chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Committee, vows that, if elected next month, he will move the party’s headquarters back to Norristown.

Returning the party’s headquarters to Norristown will help with the borough’s revitalization efforts, but there is also a political reason for the return, according to Kerns, the Upper Gwynedd GOP municipal chairman.

“Re-establishing our party’s presence in Norristown will demonstrate a commitment to the citizens of our county seat and will put the Democrats on notice that we will never concede a single municipality, precinct or voter,” said Kerns, referring to the fact that Norristown now has a majority of Democratic voters.

Republicans pulled their headquarters out of Norristown more than eight years ago. They explained that the building the party owned on Swede Street, several blocks from the county courthouse, had become too small for party functions. In addition, it was not wired for modern-day technology.

A lack of parking and a perception that Norristown was unsafe at night also contributed to the move at that time.

The move took the GOP to a storefront in an East Norriton shopping center.

The county GOP moved its headquarters again last year, this time to an office complex in the 800 block of DeKalb Pike in Whitpain.

In contrast, the county Democratic Committee has kept its headquarters in Norristown.

Once operating out of an office building in the first block of West Marshall Street, Democrats in July 2006 moved their headquarters to the first block of East Airy Street, directly across the street from the county courthouse.

The move was designed to give the party a higher profile while also supporting the borough’s revitalization efforts.

County Democratic Chairman Marcel L. Groen was quoted at the time of the move as saying, “We believe in the future of Norristown and we did not want to be an organization that turned its back on our county seat and moved away. We think that sends a message of retreat.”

Kerns’s pledge came in a letter he sent out this week to the party’s 800-plus committee people, who will gather May 8 to elect a new leader to replace outgoing GOP Chairman Ken Davis. Davis is stepping down after serving two two-year terms at the helm.

The letter details specific goals and objectives Kerns vows to pursue if elected chairman.

These goals and objectives include: unifying the multi-splintered organization; drafting a party platform that clearly states what the party stands for; aggressively reaching out to non-partisan voters and voters between the ages of 25 and 40; launching a comprehensive and innovative marketing campaign to promote the county organization and its accomplishments; and, improving the party’s fundraising.

Pottstown GOP Area Leader Jim Vlahos is battling Kerns for the top job in the county GOP.

Margaret Gibbons can be reached at mgibbons@timesherald.com or 610-272-2501 ext. 216.
Read Full Text/Comments

Remember When You Were A Kid...

...and dreamed of being in the big leagues?

Improv Everywhere showed up at a little league game in Hermosa Beach and helped all of the kids live the dream, at least for one day.

This is a great video!



Read Full Text/Comments

Bush awards Medal of Honor to Navy SEAL

It's always nice to read about our heroes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush has awarded the nation's highest military tribute to a Navy SEAL who was killed when he threw himself on a grenade in Iraq to save his comrades.

The president, blinking back tears, recognized the bravery of Michael A. Monsoor, who was part of a sniper team in Ramadi when he died on Sept. 29, 2006.

Bush presented the medal to Monsoor's parent, Sally and George Monsoor, before about 250 guests, including some of his fellow soldiers, in an East Room ceremony.

The emotional ceremony came as the top U.S. general and diplomat in Iraq opened two days of congressional testimony on the status of the war, now in its sixth year. Monsoor was the third Medal of Honor winner from the Iraq war.

Click here to read the entire story.

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Let's Rehash, Kenneth

The chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Committee pretty much doesn't care what you or I think.

First, if you haven't seen them, the green ballots are out there for approval.

Kenneth has placed himself on the green ballot as a write-in for Delegate to the Republican National Convention, essentially shutting out two Montgomery County committeewomen who circulated petitions and got them in on time.

From pawatercooler.com:

Perhaps the final move of Ken Davis’ tenure as GOP County Committee chairman is get himself on the ballot as a Delegate to the Republican National Convention from the Sixth Congressional District. In a pattern similar to his four years in office, there was some, for lack of a better term, “cock-up” with his petition paperwork*, and he did not make the ballot.

So he is mounting a write-in campaign, with his name being printed on the official “green sheet” ballots that committee people hand out at the polls.

Local committees are still mulling his placement, as the copies are being sent to the printers shortly. One committee person is printing their own ballots sans chairman.

* note: Recall that by Gov Rendell’s order there were three additional days to get petitions signed and delivered.

_________________________________________

Disgraceful. Once again, Ken Davis does whatever he can to steal an election.

If that isn't bad enough, Kenneth isn't concerned about the registration loss (most of which happened over the first three years of his tenure) at all. In the Morning Call:

Ken Davis, Montgomery County Republican chairman, said the numbers don't concern him. Unlike the primary, when voters cannot cast ballots outside their party, fall voters are free to vote for anyone. He likes Republican John McCain's chances against Obama or Hillary Clinton.

''Even if people don't come back, they are still free to pick who they want in November,'' Davis said. ''This is an electorate that is used to ticket splitting. I think more people will make up their mind when one of the Democrats is the candidate.''

_________________________________________

Not worried? ...The numbers don't concern him?

Lets do the math, shall we?

75,000+ registration gap loss over 4 years = 18,750 net registration lost per year.

18,750 loss (average) over 12 months = 1562.20 net loss per month, or about 1.75 persons lost per day to the democrats over the last four years,

Factor in that we’re (MCRC) broke, I can’t see how Ken could possibly “look back with pride to many accomplishments, both large and small”, that he declares in his letter of March 7th of this year.

If not for all of the political infighting caused by Ken Davis and his supporters, we may not be suffering the losses we have this past four years (Nero fiddled while Rome burned comes to mind). Ken has been the most uninspiring leader I have ever had the displeasure of serving under.

Ken Davis goes on to say in his March 7th letter that he may come back in the future…I say don’t do us any favors, Kenneth.

I can't wait until May 8th. Read Full Text/Comments

James Rex Shunned Again!

Substantiated by an eyewitness:

It seems that King James, once again, was on his "Reconciliation Tour", stopping for a brief moment in Upper Moreland yesterday, apparently looking for a friend.

Not being invited, King James just showed up, as is his M.O. these days.

Upon getting his food platter, he walked around the entire room, unable to find a chair. He proceeded to take the Mistress of Ceremonies chair when she got up to start the program. How uncomfortable those at the table must have felt!

Anyway, James Rex, after not being introduced during the program, got up and left (I believe that , this time, he stayed for Tom Manion's speech, contrary to what he did at ATRO Friday evening). On his way out, he was luck enough to pass one of the more outspoken committeepersons in the area.

_______________________

******UPDATE******

It seems as though I may have (shudder) misspoke...there is an update to the last paragraph (tip to "Not Ken Davis" for commenting and setting me straight!):

"Jim was introduced. He was the first "county official" mentioned in the introductions and he got polite applause. He left early because the program had Castor speaking third. He left after the first speech because he's embarrassed to be exposed for the fraud he is by Castor, so he leaves."

_______________________

His Highness tried to kiss her on the cheek, to which she said "Kiss me on the cheek, like Judas"...and "when are you coming to your senses?"

He proceeded to turn beet red, point his finger in her face, and shout something along the lines of "35 years in this county...35 years!", essentially making an a** of himself in the lobby-with people from three events witnessing his tirade.

Well, that's the gist of it, dear readers.

Oh, it's getting good, my friends. How long until he completely loses it?

It must be tough on his old, Dewar's soaked mind, and all because of this insane grudge of his...I'm reminded of a quote by Norman Vincent Peale:

“Resentment or grudges do no harm to the person against whom you hold these feelings but every day and every night of your life, they are eating at you”

It must suck to be you, Jimbo. See you at the meltdown!

B. Read Full Text/Comments

Charlton Heston Dies

"...from my cold, dead hands." Charlton Heston, 1997 NRA Nat'l Convention

Growing up, no movie star has ever had more popularity in my home than Charlton Heston. Mom only had to mention "her boyfriend" and we all knew who she was talking about.

Charlton Heston was a man's man. he was an actor that could go from tought to tender and back to tough in an instant, and you believed him.

He's the only man, other than my father, that my mother ever loved.

He championed many causes, including marching in Washington D.C. for civil rights with Dr. Martin Luther king, Jr., but his legacy was still yet to come.

Charlton Heston was President of the NRA from 1998 until 2002, when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease.

On the subject of his Alzheimer's, Heston, who fended off prostate cancer three years before, insists he was "neither giving up nor giving in...For now, I'm not changing anything. I'll insist on work when I can; the doctors will insist on rest when I must. If you see a little less spring in my step, if your name fails to leap to my lips, you'll know why. And if I tell you a funny story for the second time, please laugh anyway.

"I must reconcile courage and surrender in equal measure. Please feel no sympathy for me. I don't. I just may be a little less accessible to you, despite my wishes.

"I also want you to know that I'm grateful beyond measure. My life has been blessed with good fortune."

On the web:

Movie Giant Charlton Heston Dies
Charlton Heston
Joal Ryan, eonline
April 5, 2008

Charlton Heston did not do small.

Heston, the Oscar-winning actor who, as the biggest male star of Hollywood's outsize epic era of the 1950s and 1960s, parted the Red Sea, raced chariots and battled gorilla tyranny, died Saturday at his Beverly Hills home.

He was 84, his family said. He had been battling Alzheimer's disease for years.

In a statement, Heston's family acknowledged that their patriarch was viewed as larger than life and maintained that, offscreen, he was no less imposing.

"We knew him as an adoring husband, a kind and devoted father, and a gentle grandfather, with an infectious sense of humor," the statement said. "He served these far greater roles with tremendous faith, courage and dignity. He loved deeply, and he was deeply loved." (click here for the rest of the article)

Lastly, click here to see a slides how of Charlton Heston pics on Yahoo. Read Full Text/Comments

Politics Goes To The Dogs

it was just a matter of time...


Is Rover a Republican?

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Nobody's being left out of the political hoopla this primary season, and that includes your four-legged friends.

Petlane, the pet party service, has introduced doggie treats in the shape of elephants and donkeys.

But how do you know which treats your dogs favor?

According to Petlane, here are eight signs to tell you which side of the fence your furry companion sits on:

(Click here for the rest of the article)

(I'm tempted to get my dog the donkeys...I'd get some sick sense of satisfaction naming the biscuits "Jim" and "Joe" and "Diane", etc. and watching him eat devour them...hehe!)

B.
Read Full Text/Comments

A Necessary Evil

I love to eat. Those of you who know me have seen the pleasure on my face (and plate) when the fare at one of the many fundraisers I go to is better than fair (as few are) and borders on WOW!

That being said, I am a big fan of food. It is the one pure necessary evil in my life. I can do without the cigars or bourbon that constitute my "guilty pleasure" list of vices, but I love food that tastes good. Finding places where you can get better than average food on the cheap is something else.

You see, I have a family of four living in my home. Two of them are children and two of them are picky eaters. That leaves me. I love to experiment and try different places. My family, on the other hands, likes Applebee's and Ruby Tuesday's. When we go out, they usually win.

So, I don't get to try new places as often as I'd like to. Thank goodness there is a new blog devoted to food and fare in our neck of the woods (S.E. Pennsylvania).

Its called "The Hungry Pilgrims", and it will be like having our very own Philly-area food critic/food historian guide to the culinary arts. (I've added their link to my "blogroll", at the right)

I, for sure, will be using their site as a reference on those rare times when the Shaw Family of picky eaters and food experimenters decide they don't feel like cooking and pile into the minivan to get a reasonably priced meal at a restaurant.

I'd like to be the first political blog in the SEPA area to welcome Jake and The Fatman to the blogosphere and say "thank you".

You have become one of my new "necessary evils", 'cause lord knows, so long as ya gotta eat, ya might as well eats goodly.

B. Read Full Text/Comments

ATRO Spring Reception and King James III

Dear Readers,

I attended (for the first time) ATRO's annual dinner - about 125-150 people were in attendance. It was at North Hills Country Club in Abington.

Amidst rumors that he wasn't going to be well received, King James III actually showed up. He arrived in time for the cocktail hour. Some of his "traditional" supporters were very cordial, but I did witness at least FIVE different committeepeople who came up and had heated exchanges with him over his deal with Hoeffel and his damage to the Republican party. Some went on for extended periods of time.

After a while, Matthews was heard to remark to one person he was talking to that he was "just saying my hellos and then I'm getting out of here".

True to his word (this time), Matthews left once everyone sat down to dinner. Did he have somewhere else to go? No. He went next door to the members only dining room at North Hills (where Matthews is a member) and enjoyed himself at the bar, safe from his Republican critics. I suppose James Rex preferred to dine with the Lords and Ladies of North Hillshire rather than mix with the common folk of ATRO.

It's a shame he left before the festivities started. If he had stayed he would have heard the rousing cheer a tuxedoed Bruce Castor (coming from a formal event) got when he was introduced.

Our Sovereign also would have heard himself get booed when Area Leader Jon Fox mentioned his name.

His Majesty also would have heard his former colleague Tom Ellis address the crowd. He missed hearing Ellis lambaste his (Matthews') decision to flood the government with Democrat cronies, specifcially Jeff Albert.

Had he stayed, he then would have heard Commissioner Bruce Castor give the crowd a pep talk telling them not to "fret over the loss of our registration majority, that if Republicans act like Republicans and govern like Republicans that we will in 2011". Castor said he'd be running for reelection and both he and Ellis (in separate speeches) pledged to win back the 5 row officers that were lost."Bruce continued: "we have an important leadership election coming up. Please carefully analyze the credentials of all the candidates running....and then vote for Bob Kerns!" to great laughter and applause.

Col. Tom Manion gave a moving speech about his efforts to win back the 8th district from Patrick Murphy. His speech focused on core values. Shame Matthews missed it. He could do with a talk about core values.

As for me? I had the fish (excellent, by the way), great conversation at the table, and enjoyed a very nice program from Chairman Bob Griffith and Area Leader Jon Fox.

For the record, nobody got "shusshed" all night. MCRC Chairman Ken Davis apparently had some teeth pulled today. I heard they were his "wisdom" teeth, but I ain't buying it. One has to first be blessed with wisdom...but I digress

Oh, and for my own safety, when I saw King James III enter the room, I thrust my hands deep into my pockets.

Once bitten, twice shy, I guess! Read Full Text/Comments

Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned

While Ken Davis was playing internal bullsh*t games for the past four years, something incredible happened. The Democrats became the majority party in Montgomery County.


That's over 70,000 persons switching party, people!

Read the email sent by MCDC chair Marcel Groen congratulating his minions...er committee persons on their success. (tip to AlexC at pawatercooler.com)

To Ken Davis:

First you back Jim Matthews, who acts like a freaking democrat, then you give away the county.

Thanks, Ken.

I can't wait until May 8th...

B. Read Full Text/Comments

Board of Elections Cries "Uncle"!

There seems to be a great deal of activity in the Voter's Services office.

Check that. For about 3.75 hours last night, the system went down. Zilch. Nada. Nothing.

Joe Passarella, Director of voter's services attributes the shut down to the "sheer volume of registration changes throughout the state."

In today's Times Herald, Passarella reports that he was paying overtime to about 25 employees when the system went kaput.

I'm sure all of the people who changed their registration at the last minute feel really bad for Mr. Passarella...especially the RINOs who switched because of their supposed "disgust" with the Republican party.

I say shame on all of you. You've cost the county money to prove a point. That's pronounced "My Tax Dollars"!

With King James and Prince Joe throwing away money faster than a congressman with an earmark, it won't be long until we have another campaign promise broken...the one that was made by both sides-the promise to not raise our taxes.

And if you raise my taxes, King James, I dare you to try and shake my hand again. Read Full Text/Comments

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

*****UPDATE*****

With Vlahos "throwing down the gauntlet", will this include his evicting the new tax collector in Lower Pottsgrove?

It seem that the new tax collector, Jennifer Marsteller (the wife of Vlahos constant companion and political confidant, Dave Marsteller), leases office space, as the tax collector, in a building owned by Vlahos (see picture below)...convenient, no?.



For the record, I was with both Vlahos and Marsteller last evening at a fundraising event in Norristown. They arrived and left together, as they always do, joined at the hip.

I'm not always accused of being the sharpest tool in the shed, but I must ask...Is it just me, or can we assume that the the Vlahos gauntlet actually means '"do as I say, not as I do"?
_______________________________________

It looks to me that instead of answering to the issue of his giving $250.00 to Michael Nutter's campaign, Jim Vlahos is throwing up a smokescreen. Nice try, Vlahos. I ain't buying it.

B.

Candidate Challenges GOP Municipal Chair to Sign an ‘Integrity Pledge’

By MARGARET GIBBONS , Times Herald Staff

COURTHOUSE — Republican Pottstown Area Leader Jim Vlahos, in his bid to become chairman of the Montgomery County Republican Committee, has thrown down the gauntlet at the feet of rival Robert J. Kerns.

Vlahos this week said he is challenging Kerns, the Upper Gwynedd GOP municipal chairman, to join with him in signing an “integrity pledge” to the party’s 800-plus municipal committee people who will be electing their new leader at a meeting scheduled for May 8.

The pledge requires county GOP chairman candidates to relinquish any existing municipal or county contracts they may have in the course of their business and to promise that neither they nor their businesses will accept or solicit such contracts while they serve as GOP chairman.

Read the entire article by Margaret Gibbons here. Read Full Text/Comments

Remembering My Not So "Mis-spent" Youth

I've had this photograph in my garage since I moved into my home 16+ years ago. I recently photographed the 24 x 36 poster sized behemoth, to preserve it for prosperity. (That's me, on the left, eating the mike stand...yeah, I was in better shape then-LOL)

This was taken on what very well may have been the last time I ever performed (before coming out of retirement this year to perform at my nephew's church).

It was a band "showcase" with about 5 or 6 bands performing. I performed with this, my "metal" cover band, doing numbers from Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden, to name a few. I was 22 years old.

Later in the show, I was fortunate enough to reunite with my bandmates from APEX, the very first serious band I ever belonged to. I strapped on my '68 Fender Telecaster bass and did our "Hendrix" set, finishing with a requested 10 minute version of "Freebird" (the Kensington National Anthem).

It was a day to remember, immortalized in black and white, a testament of my misspent youth-where music wasn't everything, it was the only thing.

I got married the very next summer (my "practice" marriage), and pretty much gave up music for quite a few years. After the divorce, I met Karen and was once again inspired to play...I had found my new muse!

It wasnt until about 4 years ago, though, that I vowed to give my children the gift of music by picking up my guitar and playing it almost daily. I even teamed up with one of my son's friend's dad and formed a duet called NFK (so named for our agreement to never play "Koombayah") We played the campfire circuit while my son was in the cub scouts and have recently taken a short hiatus, as our respective families have gotten busy with scouts, brownies, sports, politics, etc.

But, the guitar sits in the living room, in a corner, just waiting for me to pick it up on a whim and belt out any of the hundreds of songs I know by rote.

Every song, that is, except "Koombayah". Read Full Text/Comments

Kerns Overwhelmingly Endorsed By Montco Area Leaders

A letter was received today, signed by 10 of the 15 area leaders, overwhelmingly endorsing candidate Bob Kerns for MCRC chairman.

Kerns, who had the support of but 5 area leaders (Mark Marino, Marilyn Vacarello, Bob Stokley, John Fichter and Marie Cavanaugh) two years ago, has doubled his support among the area leaders and has the solid support of 2 municipal chairs, Abington's Robert Griffith and, quite notably, Pottstown Municipal Chair, Gail Yoder.

Of particular note, Yoder happens to be the chair of the largest municipality in Vlahos' area.

Surprisingly, none of the area leaders who did not sign the letter have come out in support of Vlahos, with the exception of Vlahos himself.

Kerns has the area leaders in Springfield and Cheltenham, the home base of former commissioner and state treasurer candidate Tom Ellis (Cheltenham) and former Republican commisioner King James III (Springfield).

The leadership who signed this letter represent 612 of the 824 committee spots, amounting to 74.2% of the full committee.

Kerns and Vlahos are the only two candidates running for MCRC Chairman, as Renee Amoore, State Republican Committee Vice-Chair, has decided she will not run.

Click here to doenload the letter. Read Full Text/Comments

Two more make switch

Just a follow up to last week's post:

In today's Times Herald story (by Margaret Gibbons, ace-crackerjack reporter) Both Pierce and Rothstein give Gibbons their take on why they switched.

Pierce it seems, is tired of being a Republican...she says “Nothing disparaging against anyone or the party, but I just felt it was time.” After her bitter defeat vis a vis the endorsement last year, I'm surprised she waited this long.

Contrary to my previous report, Wendy Rothstein supposedly resigned both her committee seat and her solicitorship back in January.

"Rothstein said she has been thinking since January about switching her party registration in order to vote for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton as the Democratic presidential nominee.

“She is a very educated, very strong woman who would make a good president,” Rothstein explained.

To save the GOP from any embarrassment, Rothstein said she resigned as the GOP solicitor and as a Plymouth committeewoman in January while she mulled making the party switch." (Margaret Gibbons, Times Herald)

Interesting article. I do have to question why Athan (at MCRC) told me a different story last week, though. Maybe he just guessed. Maybe he was told to give that answer.

I can't wait for May 8th. Read Full Text/Comments

Gun Measures Struck Down In Harrisburg

It looks like the State Legislature will not be making criminals out of law-abiding citizens, after all.

PA Watercooler posted this earlier this evening:

Gun Theft Law Fails

Some of our lawmakers should take a look at the PA state constitution (the one they take an oath to defend and protect), specifically Article 1, section 21 and Article 1, section 25:

Article I, Section 21:

“The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned.”

Article I, Section 25:

“To guard against the transgressions of the high powers which we have delegated, we declare that everything in this article is excepted out of the general powers of government and shall forever remain inviolate.“

Read Full Text/Comments

Caption Contest

The Winners!

How about: "Hillary reacts to learning that Montgomery County Commissioner Jim "King James, III" Matthews has agreed to a power sharing arrangement and accepted her invitation to join her on the ticket this fall for Vice-President."

Moments after the election, Jim announces it his his "prerogative" to be president as he has actual executive governmental experience that Hillery lacks...stunning no one, in Matthews' new role as president of the Senate, he has come to an agreement with the Speaker of the House to marginalize President Hillary unless he get to pick the Attorney General. The President agrees to this demand...but, King James screws her anyway.

Buttons will be awarded within a week. Thanks to all of the contributors. This was a blast!

B. Read Full Text/Comments

Writemarsh! Back! Online!

Dear Readers,

Just hours after declaring that I must cease and desist any and all blogging as of 6 am today, I am pleased to announce that writemarsh! will continue as it always had.

You see, at 6 a.m., I am usually in my car, therefore blogging at that time would be dangerous and irresponsible, not to mention the fact that getting my laptop to synch with a WIFI or WEP network is next to impossible at 55 m.p.h.

I must admit, this wasn't my only April Fools gag today...click on the photo below to see what my wife woke up to today.

B. Read Full Text/Comments

The Hildebeast Offers a Challenge to Obama

By BETH FOUHY, Associated Press Writer

PHILADELPHIA — Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton walked somberly into a press conference Tuesday and stood before microphones. Reporters tensed, sensing something big might be afoot.

"This has been a very hard fought race," she said. "We clearly need to do something so that our party and our people can make the right decision. So, I have a proposal."

The tension grew. Reporters shifted in their seats. Was she dropping out of the race? Offering to join rival Barack Obama as his running mate?

April Fools!

"Today, I am challenging Senator Obama to a bowl-off," Clinton said, provoking relieved laughs from the assembled scribes.

Clinton carried on, making reference to Obama's disastrous outing at a Pennsylvania bowling alley Saturday.

"A bowling night. Right here in Pennsylvania. The winner take all," she went on. "I'll even spot him two frames."

"It is time for his campaign to get out of the gutter and allow all the pins to be counted. I'm prepared to play this game all the way to the tenth frame. When this game is over, the American people will know that when that phone rings at 3 a.m., they'll have a president ready to bowl on day one."

"Let's strike a deal and go bowling for delegates. We don't have a moment to spare, because it's already April Fool's Day. Happy April Fool's Day."

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read Full Text/Comments

This is the End of the Line

Dear Readers,

It is indeed a sad time for me. A situation beyond my control is forcing me to "cease and desist" any and all blogging as of 6 am today.

I hope you understand. Thanks for all your support.

Hopefully, I will be able to, in the near future, get back to blogging.

B. Read Full Text/Comments

Signs....Where's the Signs?

This is my lawn on any given election day. The signs usually go up a month out and stay there until the day after (or week after) the election.

One thing I noticed, with 3 weeks to go...

No signs...well, a few, but not like there usually are.

What gives?

Sigh..... Read Full Text/Comments