The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops reject latest compromise on contraception

MoonHowler

bewareofdogmabillboard_jdean

Politico.com:

Catholic bishops on Thursday rejected the White House’s latest attempt at  compromise on contraception, saying it did not adequately accommodate religious  organizations that object to covering free contraception in employee health  plans.

“Throughout the past year, we have been assured by the administration that we  will not have to refer, pay for, or negotiate for the mandated  coverage,” Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, president  of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in a statement. “We remain  eager for the administration to fulfill that pledge.”

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Something to think about…

MoonHowler

From www.nasa.gov:

Small near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass very close to Earth on Feb. 15, so close that it will pass inside the ring of geosynchronous weather and communications satellites.

NASA’s Near-Earth Object Program Office can accurately predict the asteroid’s path with the observations obtained, and it is therefore known that there is no chance that the asteroid might be on a collision course with Earth.

Well, that’s reassuring. Perhaps the Mayans were off by a couple of months and NASA is off in its calculations?

That would be one hell of a rude awakening. Perhaps ‘awakening’ is the wrong choice of words.

Anderson’s texting while driving bill passes

MoonHowler

Del. Anderson is to be commended for getting this important piece of legislation headed towards becoming a law. One question–Is it against the law to do the myriad of other things people manage to do on cell phones while driving? Angry birds, paying your bills, etc can be just as distracting. I can see the defense now being that the driver was playing Words with Friends and not texting. I hope there are stop gaps so this cannot happen.

Sally Jewell tapped as Secretary of the Interior

MoonHowler
Sally Jewell in July 2010 on the Emmons Glacier. (J. Jensen/News Tribune)
Sally Jewell in July 2010 on the Emmons Glacier. (J. Jensen/News Tribune)

It will be a difficult task finding anything politically onerous about Sally Jewell.  She is an unfamiliar face to most of us and definitely an Washington Outsider.  In fact, she is not a politician.  She is the CEO of REI, an outdoor outfitting company.  Now she has been selected by President Obama has the Secretary of the Interior.

Washington Post:

President Obama’s unconventional pick to lead the Interior Department — a former oil engineer and commercial banker who heads the consumer co-op Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI) — represents an effort by the administration to defuse the partisan fight over conservation and energy.

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Speaker William Howell: Doing the Right Thing

MoonHowler

howell

Character has often been describes as doing the right thing when no one is looking.  In the case of Speaker Howell, character is sometimes doing the right thing when everyone is looking and it takes courage.

Today Speaker Howell proved his mettle by voting the sneak Republican plan to redistrict not germane.  According to the Washington Post:

 House Speaker William J. Howell, one of Richmond’s most reliable Republican votes, bucked his own party Wednesday to derail a Senate redistricting plan that could have handed the GOP control of that chamber for decades.

Howell (Stafford) used a procedural ruling to kill the new Senate map, resisting pressure from his  caucus and Senate Republicans, who assured him that state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II (R) was prepared to back the plan.

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Dick Morris: Fired for always being wrong?

MoonHowler

Lawrence O’Donnell recounts Dick Morris’s finest moments as he swears that Dick Morris was fired by Fox News for never being right.

Dick Morris will appear on the Piers Morgan hour to explain why his contract with by Fox News was not renewed.

“His contract is up and we will not be renewing it, ” a Fox spokesperson
said.

According to newsmax.com:

The network did announce that former Bush White House adviser Karl Rove had been
renewed as a contributor. The network also signed on former Democratic
Congressman Dennis Kucinich as a contributor.

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New Police Chief: Steve Hudson

MoonHowler

The Washington Post and Corey announced that Major Steve Hudson was been selected to serve as Prince William County’s new police chief.  He currently serves as the head of the criminal investigation team.   He is now chief.

He and his wife Roxanne were on hand to be introduced to the Board of Supervisors late this afternoon, right before adjournment.  Chief Hudson spoke briefly.

Chief Hudson graduated from Prince William County Schools and has been with the department since 1984.

Congratulations, Chief Hudson.

 

Attempt to grade schools moves closer to being made law

MoonHowler

b grade

Governor McDonnell continues to try to get his ell-conceived “educational reform” thought the General Assembly.

According to Loudountimes.com:

A measure obligating Virginia public schools to receive A through F grades passed the Virginia House of Delegates Feb. 4 in a 54-40 vote, despite objection from state education groups.

The bill is part of Gov. Bob McDonnell’s education reform plan. Under the proposed legislation, local school boards, in addition to establishing accreditation standards, must develop a grading system for their districts’ schools by Aug. 1. The grades schools received would be public.

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Sec. John Kerry: Big heels to fill

MoonHowler

John Kerry reported for duty. Newly appointed Secretary of State John Kerry introduced himself to those at the State Department with a lot of self-deprecating humor. After 28 years, Sec. Kerry will be doing a very different job.

The real question remains, can a man actually be secretary of state after so many competent women?

Refuse to be a Victim Seminar offered by Manassas Police

MoonHowler

From Manassaspatch.com:

The City of Manassas Police Department is offering a free Refuse To Be A Victim seminar on Saturday, March 2 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Police Station at 9518 Fairview Ave.

The Refuse To Be A Victim seminar is a National Rifle Association program that promotes awareness and prevention of criminal confrontations. Seminar topics include home, auto, phone, technology, travel and personal security. Seminar participants are presented with a variety of common‑sense crime prevention and personal safety strategies and devices they may integrate into their daily lives.

Refuse To Be A Victim was developed in 1993 in response to requests from women nationwide for crime prevention seminars.  In 1997, the program became co‑ed.  With hundreds of instructors nationwide, seminars have been presented in 50 states and the District of Columbia.  Thousands of men and women have benefited from the program’s life saving message.

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Bones: Richard III found under parking lot in Leicester

MoonHowler

richard iii skull

The remains of English Monarch Richard III have been found under a parking lot in Leicester (pronounced Lester), England.

According to Yahoonews.com:

Archaeologists announced today (Feb. 4) that bones excavated from underneath a parking lot in Leicester “beyond reasonable doubt,” belong to the medieval king. Archaeologists announced the discovery of the skeleton in September. They suspected then they might have Richard III on their hands because the skeleton showed signs of the spinal disorder scoliosis, which Richard III likely had, and because battle wounds on the bones matched accounts of Richard III’s death in the War of the Roses.

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Archaic Virginia laws: Virginia is NOT for lovers

MoonHowler

 

NOT lovers

 

Several decades ago, when Virginia adopted the slogan “Virginia is for Lovers” someone apparently hadn’t read the Code of Virginia.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Virginia is for the nunnery!

For some proof, let’s see what Huffington Post has uncovered (blush).

Only one or two centuries late, Virginia lawmakers have decided it is none of their business if unmarried couples share a roof. So the legislators are now working diligently to repeal the state’s law against “lewd and lascivious cohabitation.” Huzzahs all ’round for that.

But do not unclutch thy bodice yet. Virginia law is riddled with antiquated provisions meant to govern the “morals and decency” of the fair people of the commonwealth. And while the law against shacking up apparently never gets enforced, others do.

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Super Bowl XLVII

MoonHowler

CONGRATULATIONS RAVENS! WINNERS OF SUPERBOWL 47!

There will be good times in Bal’mer tonight!

 

nevermore

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Super Bowl Comments

Commercials, entertainment, plays, all of it goes here.

Meanwhile, from the Howler House,

GO   Ravens!!!