Is everyone ready for the big day of gluttony?  Who is going away?  Who is cooking?  Who is eating out?

We will be eating out as usual.  About 6 years ago I decided I was never cooking again.  I got tired of being too exhausted to eat.  The help wasn’t always so hot.  Lots of showing up to eat and running off to do other things.

126 Thoughts to “Open Thread………………………………………….Tuesday, November 20”

  1. Mom

    The resolution is always attached, there is still a requirement for a motion, second and roll call vote in open session. No two ways about it, its a statutory requirement that MUST be fulfilled.

  2. Need to Know

    @Moon-howler

    I saw Warner’s statement too. That means the election will be a real contest instead of a Warner coranation. CNN ran an article this week with a poll showing Warner winning overwhelmingly, but the race very close with McAucliffe versus Cuccinelli or Bolling.

    1. That seems a little premature to call. Who are we polling?

  3. Lyssa

    I see you’ve “dropped” the Sherrif of Rottingham from the blog roll…..not worth the space?

    1. I am ill at ease over continual ad hominem attacks. Obviously, with that in mind, I don’t link to all local blogs.
      Character attacks speak more to the character of the speaker than those being spoken about.

  4. Morris Davis

    Israel and Hamas were able to compromise and reach a peace deal. Maybe U.S. Democrats and Republicans could take a lesson.

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/21/israel-and-hamas-strike-peace-deal.html

    1. A big thank you to Hillary Clinton for that one. I hope she stays on.

  5. @Morris Davis
    Hey, Morris!

    I have a question. In military or international law, does the firing of those HAMAS rockets into civilian areas, targeting civilians, constitute terrorism or just a justification for war?

    1. Cargo, how do you know what they are targetting? I am uncomfortable calling terrorist over civilians getting nailed also. There certainly have been a lot of accusations at the US over drone attacks that have hit civilians. I am not ready to call my country a terrorist nation.

  6. Lyssa

    @Moon-howler

    I hope she runs for President.

  7. @Moon-howler
    If one fires unguided rockets into a city, the only target available are civilians, ergo the target IS civilian. Random civilians.

    Our drone attacks, while killing civilians, does not target innocent civilians. If the “militants” wish to stay within civilian areas, the responsibility is on them. It all depends upon the intention and target.

    Personally though, I am ambiguous about how the drone attacks are carried out.

    1. I think we can agree that blowing up buses is definitely terrorism.

  8. Lyssa

    Depends on who is on it.

  9. Morris Davis

    @Cargosquid

    Cargo – It’s an interesting question and one that I don’t believe has an easy answer. First, terrorism is a tactic and whether an act is an act of terrorism depends on the motivation. If you plant a bomb to kill a romantic rival it’s murder but not terrorism. If you plant a bomb to kill people at random in order to create fear then it’s probably murder and terrorism. Second, in the context of rockets fired at random into a city, the hardest question is who has jurisdiction to hold the perpetrators accountable? Article 51 of Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions prohibits indiscriminate attacks on civilians, but neither Israel nor the Palestinians are state parties to API (nor is the United States … we signed it but never ratified it). The PLO sent a letter in 1989 saying it agreed to all the GCs and APs, but there is no internationally recognized State of Palestine (recall the kerfuffle at the UN over Palestinian statehood?) to be a state party to the conventions. The International Criminal Court defines crimes against humanity to include attacks directed at civilian populations, but Israel is not a party to the ICC (neither is the United States). In 2009 the Palestinian National Authority signed a declaration saying it submitted to ICC jurisdiction for any offense committed on its territory after 2002, but you’ve got the same problem as with the Geneva Conventions that they are not recognized as a state with the power to enter into legal obligations in the international community. So it probably comes down to domestic criminal law. If the Israeli’s caught whoever fired the rockets they could be tried in their courts or if the Palestinians chose to do so they could prosecute them in their courts. The only other possibility would be for the international community (i.e., the United Nations) to authorize a special ad hoc tribunal like the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia or the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and I don’t think that is likely.

  10. @Morris Davis
    That was a wonderful answer. Thanks.

    I’ve seen the Israel/Palestine conflict described as a feud, like the Hatfields and McCoys, but on a “national” scale. I think that it’s accurate description.

  11. Morris Davis

    @Cargosquid

    That’s probably not a bad analogy. According to CRS, we’re on tap to give Israel $3.2B in aid this fiscal year. Today we added $600M more for there Iron Dome program. With a population of under 7.8M, that’s $500 for every man, woman and child in the country. I wish some country would spend $500 a head on us.

  12. Lyssa

    JFK was assassinated 49 years ago today.

    1. oh wow. It was also on a Thursday, wasnt it?

      49/7=7 yup!!!!!

      What a horrifying day that was.

      So was his assassination part of a bigger plan?

  13. The purina dog show is on. Great entertainment for someone like me.

    There must be some unwritten dog show rules.

    1. The women have to go out and buy the ugliest dress on the rack.

    Why don’t these women wear pants suits? Is there a dress rule?

    I won’t comment on the men.

  14. Clueless

    Happy Thanksgiving to all. Moon and Elena, Thanks for jettisoning the Sheriff and thanks for a fair and informative blog.

  15. Lafayette

    Happy Thanksgiving!!

  16. punchak

    The most shameful Thanksgiving program on TV:

    “District of Corruption” on Hannity’s 9 pm show.
    Shoveling dirt at our President / on THANKSGIVING!!!

  17. Just to clear up a few misunderstandings….

    Elena and I have known for quite a while that if we have something we feel is important to say, it is best to say it on OUR blog rather than someone else’s. That way we have total control of our own words. Therefore, my response to alterations to our blog roll will appear here.

    Yes, Sheriff, we do have a rule here about personal attacks on county employees. That rule is for this blog and full discussion is under the Guidelines Tab. However, that is for our blog. How other blogs handle this issue is up to them.

    Just to set the record straight, I have been extremely uncomfortable with the disrespect shown to the supervisors themselves and I have been for some time. It is easy to disagree with each and every one of them without making fun of them, mimicking them, or otherwise engaging in the politics of personal destruction. I can totally eschew their politics without mentioning their physical appearance, their drinking habits or how they talk. It’s all too easy to get into name calling and other derisive behaviors that ridicule and attempt to belittle the supervisors and yes, county employees, rather than focusing on specific behaviors and policies.

    My breaking point was when I read one of our supervisors being referred to as a “disheveled and bedraggled slug.” What possible good does it do to refer to someone like that? The only point I can see is to have the adoring peanut gallery laugh and hoot and carry on.

    The Sheriff has done a fine job in some areas. He stepped up to the plate at a much needed time and I continue to give him credit for pointing out a rail road job being done down at Complex 1.

    However….I think the politics of personal destruction has gone overboard. I think the Sheriff just needs to apply the Golden Rule to his rhetoric. Yes, we are judged by how we treat our fellow man. There is just no reason for general mean-spiritedness, whether directed at staff, supervisors, or their spouses or any group of people.

    As owners of one of the main blogs in Prince William County, we don’t feel comfortable pointing others in a direction that generally makes us wince when we read it.

    Is this a permanent status? I hope not. I hope to see problems tackled with the same vigor. However, I would like to see gossip verified more carefully and far less ridicule before I redirect.

    “Do unto others as you would have them to undo you.”

    Luke, Leviticus, and a whole bunch of other folks can’t all be wrong.

  18. Janelle Anderson

    Re: Removing The Sheriff from your blogroll

    Moon, you wrote in comment #5 and #25 that you don’t like personal attacks, yet I am confused.

    Mom, in comment #18, describes Prince William County Supervisor Marty Nohe by saying “He’s such a little suck-up sycophant for Corey.”

    In comment #19, Mom insults Prince William County Chairman, Corey Stewart, again with the comment “you’ve done such an awful effing job of it you two-bit turd.”

    In comment #22, Mom compares Corey Stewart’s bathroom habits to that of a dog, saying, “Marking your turf, something Corey should be good at after Happy Hour.”

    In comment #31, Mom discusses Supervisor Marty Nohe’s male reproductive organs “Time to grow a set Marty…..”

    In comment #37, Moonhowler refers to whichever elected official who pushed to remove School Resource Officers from middle schools as a “dimwit”.

    Given the amount of personal attacks you permit on your blog, it does not make sense to remove The Sheriff from your blogroll for this reason.

  19. Morris Davis

    More details coming out about the hypocritical personal life of anti-abortion/family values Congressman Scott DesJerlais who rode the Tea Party wave to election in 2010 and was recently re-elected. The Knoxville paper reports that his first wife had two abortions, he had sexual relations with 2 patients, 3 co-workers and a drug company rep, and there is a taped phone conversation where he encourages one of his mistresses to get an abortion.

    http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/nov/22/desjarlais-regret-past-actions-no-plans-to/

    1. Why do some people go to such extremes? Rick Santorum’s wife had a fairly serious long term relationship with a local abortion provider when she was a young woman. I don’t think she worked with him or had one herself but still…it seems like she has gone to extremes also.

      @Moe

  20. Janelle,

    I don’t put the blog roll up for a vote. I assume you will be able to find your seat in the peanut gallery without any help from me.

    Having said that, calling an unspecified person a dimwit for suggesting that we take away resource officers from middle schools might be an earned right, in my case. Frankly, dimwit was mild. I was actually thinking far worse.

    Do you have any idea of the impact a resource officer has in a middle school? It is actually a very small window of opportunity that is being thrown away. Most resource officers in middle school have rock star status with a bunch of young teenagers. This is the age when kids are recruited and join gangs. The resource officer not only interacts with kids in the school setting but he also goes into the neighborhoods and scoops out potential problems and talks to kids and their friends on their own turf. Closing off the resource program really would slam a window of opportunity closed.

    Its so easy for some politician or accountant or paper pusher to write off programs like this with the push of a pencil and they never knew what they killed off.

    Wouldn’t want to be you when MoM realizes he/she has been tattled on. I can’t sit here guard the blog any more than I do. If you went to our guidelines, you will see that our rules EXCLUDE elected officials.

    MoM didn’t actually violate the stated rules. He/she won’t be getting any gold stars and I will speak to the individual privately about toning down the rhetoric.

    MoM–knock it off. [stern look] You know my rules. Email to follow.

    I might also throw in that on more than one occassion, MoM has met the fickled finger of fate –I have taken down comments. I just haven’t had the free time to monitor the blog as you think I should recently.

    I guess you are just going to have to think of me as an old hypocrite with some vestiges of standards left. I have been called worse in my day. Elected officials put themselves out there. Employees don’t. On the other hand, I don’t believe our elected officials should be subject to ad hominem attacks either so, readers, heads up, expect some changes there also.

    Actually I haven’t posted my elaborate reason. It will appear in this thread. It has been written but not published. Perhaps you will have more insight once it goes up.

  21. Mom

    Moon, rule-breaker here, thought the rule only applied to staff not elected “turds” since they aren’t “defenseless”.

  22. Mom

    BTW, the “marking his turf” comment is derived from his own recorded statement during the meeting, perhaps he should be more careful with his euphemisms.

  23. MoM, I went back and changed something I had said while you were making your comment. We crossed in the mail.

    Yes, you are a rule breaker. I know I must watch you like a hawk. but you and someone else were right. the rules do apply to county employees not the politicians.

    As a personal favor, please don’t call people turds. even if they aren’t defenseless.

    Marking one’s turf is so “colorful.”

  24. @Lafayette
    Lafayette, we call that the cooking school of dump and pour. I do it too.

    I got this wonderful pork and souerkraut (sp) recipe from my mother in law who had much in common with your MIL. Not so much with the parsnips though. ewwwww. GAG

  25. Elena

    Hi Janelle,
    So allow me to help illuminate our position for you. We do not, and have not, ever claimed to be perfect. We aren’t angels nor do we pretend that we are without fault. Since you have pointed out Mom as your example, there have been times when comments have been left in moderation due to to over the top personal attacks. However, as a rule, we are not going to censor every comment that we don’t happen to like.

    We do though try to remind people to “pull in their horns” when we see them go over the top. I could point out the multitude but have no interest in spending my Thanksgiving day doing such.

    Can we control every comment, no, but we do put out general reminders to our posters every so often. Now, as far as our personal thread topics and what we write to stimulate conversation, what you will not find are the constant ad hominum attacks on private citizens and elected officials. Will you find cutting commentary on their policy and their motives for said policy? Um, yes, without apology.

    But we have never attacked Corey regarding any issue but his constant turn about on political ideology I know Corey, had him in my house, have had more than a few cocktails with him. There isn’t one thing I have said about Corey that I wouldn’t say to his face and I imagine he knows that.

    The Sheriff reminds me very much of my old long lost friend “Jamie Ziegler” from Gainesville Truth Squad. In fact, more than one person, behind the scenes, has commented on their similar writing style and unwavering support for Pete Candland.

    We need to shine a spot light on government, I support that fully, been doin’ it for many many years now. I am not new to this game. However, unlike other bloggers, we don’t need to personally attack peoples weight status, imply sexist shopping habits, or imply that certain men need to wear big boy pants. I personally abhor when people are mean just to be mean. It’s a pet peeve of mine, has been since I was a little girl and was teased for my buck teeth.

    We try to stick to the facts here Janelle, like not assuming that azurite is an expensive mineral as opposed to color of sink! But IF we were to take that rumor and run with it as though it were fact, we would certainly fix that mistake once we were corrected.

  26. Mom

    @Elena
    Hey “Bucky the Beaver” (hehehe), we’re overdue for a talk about things like Stone Haven and some traffic issues on the west end. It’s Friday so you know where to find me around 7:30.

    1. I don’t believe Bucky had a middle name.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0po-g28uTg

      I even remembered the damn words to this.

  27. Mom

    Way to “carbon date” yourself, simply dating yourself doesn’t suffice when it comes to black and white commercials.

    1. No kidding. Guilty! The fact that I even know what Ipana is dates me. I know, my isotopes are showing.

  28. Elena

    Mom, you are reading my mind, what a nightmare Haymarket traffic has become! Don’t know if I can make it tonight though, but we do need to talk!

  29. A blog is like a neighborhood pub or coffeehouse. When you’re a fan, you like to hang out. But when you start pointing out flaws (unless its a flooding toilet in the restroom), it’s probably time to move on. Nobody’s perfect, and I see many desired imperfections (humanity) here.

    All in all, Elena and Moon have been pretty fair. When there was a recent guest post about an opposing side to an issue I felt strongly about, they offered me the opportunity to do a guest post as well. I figured I would just be giving talking points and didn’t have anything more to add so I declined. But I appreciated the chance.

    Tickets for the VRE Operation Lifesaver Santa Train go on sale Monday – and in the past they’ve sold out in less than 48 hours, so be on your toes. Look for my feature article on “Destination: Trains!” in the upcoming issue of Prince Wlliam Living magazine. Buy a $12 subscription to this magazine and help it grow in 2013.

    Great news from NoVa Today, another hyperlocal newsite on Facebook:

    “Reader Jo Heil asks who owns the Sun Gazettes and do we plan on distributing in the areas previously covered by InsideNoVA.com? The link below answers those questions. Former InsideNoVa publisher Bruce Potter is the regional vice president for the group and he hired me, former InsideNoVa editor Kari Pugh as digital editor. We’ve got some exciting plans, and we’ll announce them as soon as we can! http://www.leesburgtoday.com/business/article_430b192c-786b-11e1-8e0b-0019bb2963f4.html

    For those of you mourning the death of ink and paper in Prince William, Check out and bookmark: ManassasLocal.com, PotomacLocal.com, Patch.com (Manassas, Manassas Park, LakeRidge-Occoquan, Woodbridge, Dale City), BristowBeat.com, Bristowenews.com and soon-to-be GainesvilleBeat.com, as well as BullRunNow.com. If you know of any others, list them here! Connect, and be connected.

  30. So Janelle, have you become the Tattle-tale of Nottingham? I didn’t realize the Sheriff had minions.

    For the record, the Sheriff is NOT banned from posting here. I expect to see that next. The Sheriff has always had posting privileges here and I welcome hearing from him. He doesn’t even have to use his Sheriff Moniker if he choses not to.

    I am not angry with the Sheriff. Elena isn’t angry with the Sheriff. We have a different approach to things and we have different values when it comes to dealing with our perceived ‘enemies.’ I think for the most part we might even have different ‘enemies.’ Please note, not all ‘enemies’ are people. Ideas and concepts can be enemies also. This is America.

    I had to call Elena on the phone to report that I have been accused of being intimidated. Now that’s a good one. I am trying to figure out who might want to take that task on.

    Let me think about who I can blame….hmmmmm…Suggestions please from the readership.

    This isn’t my first rodeo. Perhaps it’s better not to dabble in areas where you don’t know all the players or their history. There is nothing much to assume here.

  31. Mom

    @Moon-howler
    I’d cut her a little slack, as a relative newbie she doesn’t bear the battle scars that many of us do from past run-ins with the BOCS, county staff or, ahem, the School Board and administration.

    Janelle, for what its worth, dealing with the BOCS is often akin to a close-in knife fight, no quarter asked, given or expected. They have staff, legal counsel, outside law firms and powerful private interests to draw on, resources they use willingly. We have our own resources and methods, we didn’t make the rules, they did, and as such I (and many others) have no qualms responding in kind. The content of many BOCS emails is as intemperate as the most over the top postings here and elsewhere. A pretty sad commentary on the state of public discourse in PWC but it is what it is.

    1. Hark, is that a kinder, gentler MoM I hear? Have you traipsed down the street early?

      I would say a few close encounters during citizens time ought to give a brief glimpse into the state of affairs. How about Mr. Wills and the cops? Mr. Coor? What was that gentleman’s name?

      How about that poor feckless dude was voicing a fairly mild opinion about the soccer fields someplace…and ended up with an additional orifice?

      On the other hand, people who have nothing to lose are in a fairly good place. I have nothing to lose. I own my own domain, my own webhost spot, I have no advertisers. I don’t have a boss and I can pretty much say and do what I want. If I don’t feel like posting Elena is there and she doesn’t have any of the above restrictions either. Ahhhh! Life is good.

      I might have to have a bloody Mary to celebrate.

  32. Mom

    “How about that poor feckless dude was voicing a fairly mild opinion about the soccer fields someplace…and ended up with an additional orifice?”

    Poor feckless dude made the mistake of allowing that orifice to be created. I dare say that Corey wouldn’t dream of flapping his yap similarly with you, me or Mr. Wills. The return fire from the lectern would be immediate, withering, ill-tempered and quite likely amusing to a vast majority.

    As to your accusation re: being kinder and gentler, that wounds me to the core.

    1. I actually don’t know what I would have done, I would have been so taken aback.

      My finest hour is not when things spring out of no where.

      I would like to think I would deliver a message in manners after I made carpetbagger accusations. I would like to think I would drop a “young man” or two rather than the F bomb or something. My daughter recently told me that all my filters were off. Of course, she was the one using foul language, not I.

      As for the wounding, you almost sounded fatherly….almost.

  33. Lyssa

    If you were intimidated by someone, I’d like to meet them.

  34. Mom

    @Lyssa
    Spouse is most intimidating, I usually feign deafness/deference to avoid bloodshed (mine own).

    1. Mom, the lady has a job to do. I can’t imagine that you learned to feign deafness without a fight. 😈

  35. Lyssa

    There appears to be no shortage of sel-esteem or wisdom in these recent posts.

  36. Mom

    @Lyssa
    It comes from experience, I have said much harsher things than poor feckless dude into those same twin microphones, often times directed at Corey and/or one or more Supervisors by name. The public response has never been more than “Thank you”, the private response is another matter.

  37. Janelle Anderson

    Elena –

    I didn’t know what an azurite sink was so I started Googling and asking questions. Someone finally pointed out to me it is Corian, a common material available at Home Depot. If I had never asked questions, I still might falsely believe that Melissa Peacor’s sink is made of precious gemstone. I don’t know what I don’t know.

    Moon –

    I agree with you about school resource officers. I would put SRO’s in every PWC middle school if possible especially since most 12 year old boys are at least as tall and heavy as most female teachers. For female teachers to break up a fight is tough because they aren’t physically strong enough or trained to restrain students without anyone getting hurt.

    As far as being a tattletale goes, isn’t the key rule for tattling to not get caught so you don’t suffer consequences for “telling” on someone? The Sheriff has a private email address. If I wanted to “tattle”, I would send a private message.

    I copied my post to The Sheriff’s blog because I thought that if you *were* being intimidated, you could be forced to delete my post on your own blog, but you can’t delete my post on The Sheriff’s (unless you are The Sheriff, that is). Since you run a blog, I’m sure there are *many* people who would like to silence you.

    To say that I belong in “the peanut gallery” because you (perhaps) perceive me as criticizing insignificant details, I would say that little details can become *very* important as patterns form. Details are critical if, at some point, you want a bigger picture of a situation to emerge.

    Mom –

    Regarding your comment #43. You are right. I don’t bear the battle scars yet. I do believe you when you describe fighting with the BOCS, but I am committed to perseverance and civility. I hope my (future) losses and scars don’t make me bitter, but instead, make me more determined. I don’t know who you are, so me “tattling” on you isn’t personal. It is simply an observation that The Sheriff was booted from the blogroll and you weren’t for the same “crime”. I like reading your comments and analysis.

    1. @Janelle

      MoM isn’t on the blog roll. I think you are confusing being booted from the blog roll with being booted from the blog.

      Neither the Sheriff nor MoM have been booted from the blog. You have attempted to compare apples to oranges.
      —————————————————————————————————————————–

      Peanut Gallery is reference from both Vaudeville and Howdy Doody. It usually implies a loud rowdy audience. it has nothing to do with significance.
      ——————————————————————————————————————————————-

      Who would want to intimidate me? Send names. I feel certain that there have been people who want to silence me my entire life, starting with my parents.

      I can’t imagine it happening.

      Here’s the deal again. I have no advertizers, I own the name and the webhosting involved with moonhowlings. If someone does me in, they will have to take out Elena at the same time. I try not to be so vile to my fellow man that someone wants to kill me.
      Wanting me to shut up is not the same as wanting to kill me.
      ————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

      Your notion about resource officers is not even close. I think you are thinking of the security person who is not a law enforcement officer. Those people are not the same as the School Resource Officers who are actual uniformed police officers. Some schools share them. They sometime work WITH the school security person. Note what I said in another comment in this thread. They are often the rock stars of a school. They are all about relationships and bridge building. They are invaluable to a school setting.

      The SRO program is usually the low hanging fruit that is the first to go any time a budget cut comes up. Politicians seem to always want to gut and evicerate this program. That’s too bad. For want of a nail a shoe was lost. It is one of our most effective police programs in the county.

      http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/05/AR2010100505545.html

      I am glad you agree with keeping it even if for the wrong reasons. If you call the non-emergency Police Dept. number I feel certain they can have someone with the program contact you to lobby for this program. It is an invaluable asset to the community.

      ———————————————————————————————————————————–
      Azurite is a semi precious stone. It is not made into sinks or countertop. It is put into rings and in pendants. It is often used like the word ’emerald’ or ‘ruby’ or ‘lapis’ or ‘turquoise’ as a color. Any material can be azurite in color. This is the reason it is counter productive to assume.
      Check out what the stone looks like-

      http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=my-myy-s&va=azurite+mineral

      ——————————————————————————————————————————————-

      yea, you tattled on me. but that’s ok. “The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.”
      ― Maya Angelou

      I need continual reminding of this axiom of life from one of my favorite ladies.

    2. Janelle, I left off something that bothers me enough to come back to. You said you didn’t know what an azurite sink was. Obviously neither did anyone else but… You at least tried to dig out the amazonite mystery. Good for you.

      How many people wanted to think the worst? In the first place, there are so many bloggers out there who just want to catch someone. How many CXO’s are dumb enough to order up a gemstone vanity, even if they could find one? Not too many, especially those who work in the public sector. How many people thought “gotcha” and left the story as Peacor ordered a gemstone vanity rather than correcting the not-so-bright error by saying she ordered a deep blue in color vanity? Huge difference that makes all the difference in the world when judging the lady as a steward of the tax payers money.

      I really hate this mentality of slash and burn without regard for the truth. There is usually a good explanation for many of the ‘uncovered sins’ but seeking out the truth is not on the agenda. Its more of a gotcha world.

      Gossip is like a feather pillow with a hole in it. ONce the gossip gets out, it can never be put back. It develops a life of its own and continues to float all over the place.

      The intent of all this is to destroy someone’s reputation. I hate that!

      A little history….this blog’s parent was ANTIbvbl.net. ANTIBvbl.net came into being because there was a serious need for people of conscience to do the right thing and to step up to the plate and stop the insanity. See our Beginnings. Meet Elena. Elena’s presentation to the BOCS was a turning point in the immigration debate and how our public rhetoric was going to transpire from there on out.

      Destroying people’s reputations based on rumor (and that includes Corey’s reputation also) is just not the ethical way to behave.

      So if we are going to talk about intimidation or bullying, words that are used to harm people are wrong, regardless of why they are being said.

      If there is an issue, we can do it without “dog fooding” the person. We can stick to facts and have adult conversations that omit all the elements used to ridicule people.

      Now maybe I can sleep.

  38. Mom

    “You weren’t for the same “crime”

    Moon has put me on time-out before and thrown me out of the sandbox.

    1. I have? Did I mean to? [looking innocent]

  39. Janelle Anderson

    Yet you keep coming back. That’s perseverance.

  40. Mom

    Not really, I’ve just learned where Moon has drawn the line in the sand and generally respect it. That’s not to say that I don’t occasionally try to redraw it or when necessary bound across and await her wrath. If she gets mad enough, she knows where to find me.

    1. @MoM

      “generally” being the operative word here. :mrgreen:

  41. Elena

    Here is the problem I see Janelle. The Sheriff is so focused on trivial matter and creating drama where there is none that he will miss the more crucial issues that effect every single person in this county.

    For instance, the outer beltway will have such a negative impact on this county and no one is talking abou it….why? The Stone Haven proposal is another possible disaster, yet, besides this blog and Derecho, there has been little discussion…why?

    What about the impending Rural Crescent study? No a peep from Sherwood Forest.

    Do we need a broad discussion on county policy, absolutely. But the sheriff denegrades himself, in my opinion, when he throws in the personal attacks. There are issues, lots of them in PWC, but the way to solve them is to bring people together in the community who have common goals.

    1. What happened to the police chief issue? Swept out to sea while people focus on bathroom tiles.

  42. Elena

    Even you Janelle were “sucked into the toilet” melodrama when there was no crisis. There are enough REAL issues in this county, they don’t need to be created.

  43. Lyssa

    The focus on this years tax bill is short sighted as are some of the suggestions – rating agencies may include community perspective of the community as one many many factors in assigning a rating. The higher the rating the increased savings on debt. Therefore calling the annual citizens survey “self-agrandizing” might be over simplified if added with other factors it is a useful tool for bond ratings. They are also useful tools during audits – most agencies have specific questions. Further, capital planning is another of many many factors that also are thrown in the mix for bond rating. There’s not much going on or being planned other than roads. What percent of county government is in leased space? That is a huge cost when you factor in infrastructure ousts for technology, security and turning warehouse space into cubicles. Police is finally getting a third station to improve service response throughout the county – long overdue, training space for firefighters has been scrapped…..

    Obtaining grants to accelerate programs requires longer term planning to be apparent to avoid supplanting of funds.

    It’s easy to cut things, it’s very difficult to rebuild once you find out you went too far or did it badly. It’s easy to think about one immediate outcome – 8 cents a month.

  44. Elena

    Excellent points Lyssa! What’s that old saying I love? Ah yes, pound wise penny foolish.

    I was never raised to believe you get something for free. I don’t mind investing in my community. If it is an additional 100 bucks a year, that won’t break me, 8 dollars a month is easy to find if it means better police, fire and rescure among a multitude of other needs a healthy community must fulfill.

  45. Lyssa

    There is always a lot said about public safety being a high priority and appropriately funded. Public safety depends heavily on internal workings of government. Services such as fleet, IT support, county legal, procurement and HR are critical to a successful public safety program. If the behind the scene services are not top notch, neither is public safety.

  46. Morris Davis

    @Cargosquid

    Cargo – Thanks. The ACLJ is a Pat Robertson group on the very far right of the spectrum. That said, their rationale for the Israeli attacks is the same we use to justify lethal action in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, among others. I agree with them on the potential prosecution of perpetrators in national courts, but I think their suggestion for potential prosecution at the ICC has the problem I mentioned before: states have to consent to ICC jurisdiction and the international community does not recognize a Palestinian state. I suspect the US (and Israel perhaps) would object because we have never consented to ICC jurisdiction (nor has Israel) in order to avoid the potential of US officials (or Israeli officials) being brought before the ICC.

  47. @Elena

    Elena and lyssa, is that 8 cents or 8 dollars a month?

    Big difference.

    For want of a nail a shoe was lost. for want oof a shoe a horse was lost…..etc.

    The recent slash and burn just says to me that people don’t know jack crap. Here we go again. The new kids on the block. What looks like waste to one person fails to consider long time benefit to a community. Thge SRO officers spring to mind.

    I am so tired of people trying to out cheap each other.

    How many times has this county failed to keep the promises made to the country and fire and rescue after the death of Kyle Wilson?

    The City of Manassas people were having the same problem. Too cheap to buy the fire truck needed to protect the community. When Sumner Lake homes burned, they stood a chance of losing much more of that community because they didn’t have the right truck. Prince William to the rescue. but wait, they also need special equipment that they aren’t getting because of budget.

    With all these new houses going in and shoddier building materials, it ought to be #1 concern. Fire and rescue is never the place to cut. They are the folks who are going to be bailing your ass out if you have a fire or scraping it up off the pavement if you have a wreck or carting it to the hospital if you get sick.

    Looking at it from that point of view, you might want to double their budget.

  48. Lyssa

    Again, public safety is only as good as the resources behind them in fleet services, IT, legal and so on.

    You’re correct about 8cents or $8.

    1. You can have 100 firemen out there and if they don’t have a ladder truck to reeach the 4th story of a building, you are back to doing what firemen would have done in 1920.

      If you add 500 cops to the force and don’t have cars or computers for them, they are back on the beat.

      Prince William cheaps on that sort of thing in lean years.

      Where do they train? Do we have the faciliities or must we rent out space? How about training equipment, riot gear, special equipment for emergencies?

      Of course, I always go back to the promises made post Kyle Wilson. It was all BS and bluster.

      After I saw what a fire could really do after my brother’s house fire, I upped my insurance. Lots. His house literally burned to the ground in about a half hour. Nothing was left. Nothing.

      He wasn’t close to a fire hyrant either. Water was pumped into a collapsible pool so other trucks could use the water. It was primitive. No more scoffing at that question on insurance papers…how close is the nearest hydrant.

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