Some cardinal is going to be very happy this winter if these seeds come his way.
Has anyone ever seen a male cardinal prance and preen in front of his own image? We have a vain one at my house who dances in front of windows and the stainless steel grille.
We have had to put a small doll in one of the windows to keep him from dive-bombing it.
Much is being made that the Syrian govt. has used nerve gas on its population. Where are the other Arab nations? Why don’t THEY do something?
Mayor Gropes a lot is going to resign. Thank goodness.
@Moon-howler
I’ve wondered…why is it OUR business if a country used gas WITHIN its own borders? We didn’t care enough to threaten him when Saddam did it to the Kurds. Only when he threatened conflict outside his nation against allies.
We wouldn’t have cared if the the Iranians and Iraqis had used it against each other in their war.
So, why do WE have to get involved. Russia is their defacto ally and supporter. Saudi Arabia is too. Let THEM take care of it.
In the mean time, the fundamentalist rebels are fighting both Assad AND the more liberty minded, moderate rebels. I feel sorry for the citizenry and the less organized liberty minded rebels.
I am not even suggesting that we ignore it. Why was it our business that the Nazis exterminated Jews, Gypsies, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc? The use of chemical weapons is forbidden by the Geneva Convention.
But that still begs the question why the other Arabic countries don’t seem to be lifting a finger to stop this behavior.
Note to Middle Eastern Despots.
If you want to gas your own people, and you want the New York Press on your side, do it only when a Republican is in office. Otherwise, they will say that it is imperative that we “do” something.
Today is the second anniversary of the east coast earthquake.
What were YOU doing when it happened?
Anyone taken the “Survey” from PWC on the rural cresent? Man, talk about leading people to conclusions!
Where do I find this ‘survey?’
RIP “Shorty” Belton. What the Imperial Japanese Army couldn’t do on Okinawa in an effort to save the Empire of Japan, a couple of dirtball American punks managed to do in Spokane, Washington, 68 years later for no reason at all.
HUH?
“Shorty” Belton, US Army veteran, was wounded at Okinawa during the bloodiest battle of the Pacific war. Four Army divisions and two Marine divisions were launched against the Japanese in north and south Okinawa on 1 April 1945. The battle lasted for 82 days. 200,000 human souls perished: 62,000 American troops, 100,000 Japanese troops, and the rest civilians, some of them in mass suicides. The fighting was so intense that the Americans called it the “typhoon of steel.” By the end of the battle, both the US and Japanese commanding generals had been killed. The 29th Marines lost 80% of the men who landed on the beaches.
Shorty recovered from his wounds and made it home. His sister says that he came home with severe shell shock and never spoke about the war. On Wednesday night, Shorty, now 88, retired, and a widower, was beaten mercilessly by two young punks in the parking lot of the Eagles Lodge in his hometown of Spokane, Washington. He died on Thursday morning in hospital.
Oh I heard bits and pieces of that story on TV. Have the police apprehended the thugs yet?
Totally inexcusable.
Yeah, bits and pieces. On the other hand the Trayvon death was front page for weeks. Two ‘fine’ young African Americans performed the horrible deed. This is a case where the “N” word is completely appropriate!!
I wasn’t listening carefully. That’s the reason for bits and pieces.
SA, truthfully, would the man be any less dead if white thugs had killed him? NO. There is trash in all races. No one ever said those thugs were ‘fine’ anything.
But don’t worry, your message came through loud and clear for everyone. I am also not impressed. I am sure you have applied whatever words you want to them already. In the privacy of your own home, that’s your business.
I don’t think Trayvon Martin’s death and the death of the WWII vet have anything in common. To try to connect those dots I think you need a white robe and a pointy hat.
So you really think that for two young men to rob a 88 year old man requires beating him to death otherwise the resistance would be too much for them???????? What world are you living in? There was more to this than just a robbery, but then hate crimes are only called upon others I suppose.
I never said that either nor did I excuse them for what is clearly a murder. I simply do not think their race matters. they are thugs. Thugs come in all colors. I think its a little early to start calling for a hate crime but if it is, it is.
You are being offensive to me at the moment. why do you ask what world I live in? Please explain that.
There are some people that are just miserable bastards.
So in your opinion Moon to quote a famous person “at this point what difference does it make!” Nice …
Please do not misquote me. Go back to your sheet fitting.
The murder of “Shorty,” Chris Lane, and the shooting of Trayvon Martin all have one thing in common.
The “gangsta” cult. The killers of Shorty and Chris Lane were thugs. Trayvon Martin was also a “wanna be” gangsta involved in theft and street fighting and drugs. Except HE assaulted an armed man, unlike the other thugs. Zimmerman had a chance to fight back.
10,000+ blacks have been killed by other blacks since Zimmerman defended himself, yet MLK III decided to use Martin as the example today, concentrating on Martin and Zimmerman’s skin colors instead of their character and actions. I bet MLK III can’t name ONE of the 10,000 blacks killed by non-whites.
Afraid I am going to have to call bullshit on you Cargo. You have no proof that Martin was a gangsta. Had he done all the things you mentioned the defense would have been all over it. They weren’t. Drugs? He had pot in his system. That substance is legal in some states. Hardly shocking given his age.
Actually you don’t know that much about the killers of Shorty yet either. I am assuming they were thugs because of their undisputed behavior.
There is no common denominator between them and Trayvon Martin other than skin color.
This entire conversation is making me sick. You don’t know what happened between Martin and Zimmerman. You weren’t there and dead men don’t talk. Only one person knows what went on and I don’t if he is going to make himself look bad.
Regardless of the verdict, Zimmerman remains morally responsible for Martin’s death. If he had stayed in the car and not stalked Martin, I suspect Martin would be alive today.
I don’t have a problem with the Zimmerman verdict. He had a fair trial. I do have a problem with you making up crap about a dead kid that you read in God knows where.
WashPost’s editorial “An ethical vacuum in Virginia” was quite an eye opener – for me at least. I know it was bad, but not THIS bad.
The statements about Timothy D. Hugo of Fairfax, the third-ranking Republican in Virginia’s House of Delegates, are almost unbelievable. His district straddles the line dividing Fairfax and Prince William counties. You have to read it yourselves to see how this man is milking the system.
All of a sudden, Cuccinelli is jumping on the bandwagon abt loop holes re money (McDonnell). Had he not heard about Hugo? Did he not know about the loop holes? Why his sudden activity about this? Would he have done this if not running for governor of the Commonwealth?
@Moon-howler
Actually, the defense tried to bring up the fact that he was found with stolen goods, his liver showed signs of abuse of “purple drank,” and his various tweets and messages about buying a gun illegally and street fighting…… the judge disallowed it as not relevant to the self defense case.
Martin was found straddling Zimmerman, beating him. Zimmerman is only morally responsible for defending himself. He did not stalk Martin. At the time, Zimmerman was basically stationary at the top of the T sidewalk, talking to the cops for three minutes while Martin had broken contact and was placed by prosecution evidence 400 feet away “in back of his father’s place.” Martin returned to confront Zimmerman. Martin is responsible for Martin’s actions.
And I am not making things up. I followed the case closely. Its all in the reports.
Let me put it this way Moon. You hesitate to call out the two thugs for what they truly are yet you jump at the opportunity to link me with those wearing hoods simply because I feel that the two deserve the worst derogatory name that they could possibly be called. They have earned the title in their own actions, and not because of any supposed bigotry on my part as you are insinuating. That is what is so frustrating in that, unlike those two who killed a defenseless person, I merely suggested they deserved to be called the worst, and yet it is I who you find fault with.
Here is what I said:
What part do you take issue with? In my world saying something is totally inexcusable is pretty final. Whoever killed the defenseless old man is a murderer. Why make it a racial issue? What happened is a heinous act. I don’t have to resort to name calling to make my point. Sorry if that isn’t strong enough for you, SA.
Your remarks in the past have been more than obvious. It isn’t just this incident.
PWC set up a whole webpage on the Rural Crescent Study with all info to date. The link to the survey is on the page under “Additional Materials”
http://www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/planning/pages/rural-preservation-study.aspx
Thanks. Ray!
In 2010, there were over 16,000 homicides in the US. That is about 44 every day. If the papers carried a story about each one every day, how many would you read ? After a year’s worth of reading, how many deaths would you care about?
@BsinVA
In 2011, there were 14,612 total murders and non-negligent manslaughters, 8583 of them were done with firearms.
You are absolutely right in how people might react to reading about them everyday.
However, if a HUGE percentage of these were happening in my community vs being spread across the totality of the US, I might seek the common denominator in the crimes.
49% of the murders and 55% of the robberies are done by 13% of the population. In fact, make that closer to members of 5% of the population: Black males between the ages of 16 and 40…..and make THAT percentage even lower as the vast majority of the murders happen in cities. The rural breakdown of crime by race is almost identical between the races. Since that is the case in the rural areas, race is not the common denominator or the cause. So what in the urban black male culture is driving such a violent mindset that 3-5% of the population is driving probably 40+% of the murders?
Whites, about 72% of the population, are responsible for 48% of the murders in 2011.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/table-43
Wasn’t Belton murdered in Spokane, Washington? Less than 2% black population.
You have wanted to make Trayvon Martin a thug since day one on this blog. Had that been the case it would have been blasted all over the media during the trial. It wasn’t. He did some pot. Many boys the age of Martin do recreational pot. Stealing and street fighting? You have no proof of that.
To compare Martin to this situation is simply outrageous and should be a clear explanation why people have such strong emotions over Trayvon Martin. Had Zimmerman stayed in the car, minded his own business, in all likelihood, Trayvon would be alive today. My own kid would have probably decked him at that age if he had been stalking him. Most young men don’t like strangers following them.
If Trayvon Martin had simply gone into the house where he was visiting, he would, in all likelihood, be alive today.
Why theorize about this case? Both Moon’s and Wolve’s “WHAT IFS” could
have ended without anyone being shot.
@Wolverine
Why should he have? Was he breaking any laws? He was talking to a friend on the phone. He wasn’t messing with anyone, according to the ear witness.
On the other hand, Zimmerman was messing with him. That’s the difference.
Punchak, There is no theorizing on my part. I said that while Zimmerman may not be criminally responsible for Trayvon’s death, I feel he is morally responsible because if he had not gotten out of his car, as he was told not to do, Trayvon would probably be alive today.
I feel very strongly that the case of Belton and Martin have zero in common other than several people are trying to make an issue out of young black men.
from coochwatch.com:
The Cooch had to release his tax returns for last year and turns out he was given an $8,056 gift from a multi-millionaire admirer. The Washington Post reports that Foster Friess invited The Cooch for a weekend of hunting in Texas. You may or may not remember Foster Friess from when he made headlines for telling Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC:
“I get such a chuckle when these things come out. Here we have millions of our fellow Americans unemployed, we have jihadist camps being set up in Latin America, which Rick [Santorum] has been warning about, and people seem to be so preoccupied with sex. I think it says something about our culture. We maybe need a massive therapy session so we can concentrate on what the real issues are. And this contraceptive thing, my gosh, it’s such inexpensive. Back in my day, they used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees and it wasn’t that costly.“
So the aspirin between the knees guy is a benefactor. I wanted to punch that guy’s lights out when I heard him say that. He even smugly laughed at himself making sexist comments.
The University of Virginia announced that it will no longer provide healthcare coverage for working spouses of its employees. The “Affordable Care Act” is expected to cost the university $7M in 2014, so cuts were necessary.
http://www.roanoke.com/news/education/2168268-12/uva-eliminates-health-insurance-for-working-spouses-of.html
But Obama said that the “”Affordable Healthcare Act” would not affect people’s ability to stay on their current insurance policy.
Since Obama’s claim has proven false, Congress has justification to act. Perhaps Congress should consider replacing sequestration, which hurts government employees, with de-funding of Obamacare in the next budget.
Coverage for WORKING spouses of employees…
So they get coverage at their own place of employment or they may for their policy like most of the world does.
I have to ask, is this the fault of UVA or the fault of the ACA?
I find it rather amazing that UVA is actually paying for spouses. As a person who is chipping in towards that healthcare coverage, I guess I am a stakeholder. Do I want to pay for health care coverage of someone who probably already has it where they work? Probably not.
Middlman,
Totally agree on that RC Survey, what a joke, a dangerous joke. PWCA is all over it!
We are working on getting out the information to the public about the survey is so misleading.
The survey was tiresome. I drew no conclusions. Were conclusions drawn?
Kelly,
Wow, I read a different article than you. UVA is not going to cover spouses if they have coverage available through their own employer as a means to save money. It is not as a result of the Affordable Care Act per se.
It sounds like to me they are saving money because health care costs are simply over whelming, not because of the new laws. They are forcing spouses to get their own coverage if it qualifies under Obamacare. The real issue remains, the cost of healthcare is simply overwhelming in this country.
Romney care in Mass was very much vilified at first, but now, after growing pains, people actually like it and costs are now beginning to stabilize.
@Kelly_3406
OR Congress can submit THEMSELVES to ObamaCare…..I mean…its SUCH a good program.
How would YOU know if it was a good program or a bad program?
Also, are you opposed to kids being allowed to remain on their parents’ policy to age 26? How about not being ineligible for health care because of pre existing conditions? How about being stuck on your job because you can’t afford to give up you health care? Are those all bad ideas?
@Moon-howler
“Had that been the case it would have been blasted all over the media during the trial.”
NO…it wouldn’t. The press wants “Stand your ground” gone and pushed a false narrative throughout the trial. The press was on the side of the prosecution. In some cases, the press LIED. See NBC’s editing. The judge ruled Martin’s background as irrelevant to the case.
I used the evidence revealed in my statements. Some of which the jury did not see. Yes, it was a tragedy. But Zimmerman did nothing wrong. Martin broke contact, made it home, and then returned to confront Zimmerman and was witnessed committing assault and battery. That is from the PROSECUTION evidence. They both made bad decisions. But only one of them was committing assault and battery.
It would have come out in the trial. It didn’t.
If Stand your ground laws permit someone to shoot another, no questions asked, then I want rid of it also.
“The press was on the side of the prosecution?” Oh bullshit. All the press was on the side of the prosecution? PUH-leez. There is still some independent press left in this country. Can’t you watch something and assess it on your own?
I watched the trial and the defense did not bring up theft, or street fighting. I don’t believe the marijuana was admissible.
Cargo, you weren’t there. You don’t know what the F happened. No one does. You only have Zimmerman’s word.
You have been more than willing to string up a dead boy since the first day it was mentioned on this blog. You were clearly supporting Zimmerman rather than taking a wait and see approach.
In fact, I think its best to change the subject. I am actually very weary of hearing you and
Wolverine(correction) Second Alamo on this subject. You are both obviously very biased. Its old news. It’s attitudes like both of yours that have the African American Community still so upset. Frankly, I can see why.@Moon-howler
I watched the trial and followed it online. The defense brought up all of it. It was not allowed.
The press knows about Trayvon’s history. It not only ignored it, it LIED.
Stand Your Ground does not do that. ALL requirements for self defense MUST be satisfied.
I didn’t use Zimmerman’s word. He did not testify. I used PROSECUTION evidence which ended up supporting the self defense story.
Yes..you can see why because you refuse to follow the evidence. He assaulted someone and was killed in self defense. THAT is the entire relevant part of the event. Everything else doesn’t matter. He CHOSE to beat someone into the ground.
If the evidence had pointed to Zimmerman’s guilt…. I would have supported THAT decision.
The subject is over. He didn’t testify but he sure left an anecdotal.
By the way….when you say I’m “biased”, what do you mean exactly? Biased about what?
I have explained it ad nauseum. Your mind was made up from the first day it was mentioned on this blog.
Now we have moved on.
Hee hee. I travelled to Strasburg today and saw a couple “Don’t tread on me” license plates along the way. I love it when tea baggers who don’t want to be taxed pay an extra tax for their license plates. Oh, the irony…
@Censored bybvbl
Love it! 🙂
@Moon-howler
Companies have not typically differentiated between working and non-working spouses in terms of extending healthcare to families … at least not the companies that I have been affiliated with. First of all, this represents a huge recurring cost to the family (what’s the current cost of individual coverage, ~$200-250 per month?). Second, if both adults get seriously ill, I imagine that the family would be subject to out-of-pocket maxima for BOTH policies.
Dropping working spouses represents yet another hidden, but huge, cost of Obamacare. I did not foresee this one. If companies start to drop working spouses from healthcare policies, this is very bad news for northern Virginia where dual-income families are the norm.
The other hidden cost of Obamacare is of course the transition to an economy of part-time workers instead of full-time employees. We are rapidly becoming a nation of part-time workers because small businesses cannot afford Obamacare.
In the first place, most companies don’t pay for a spouses coverage. You may cover them but out of your own pocket.
why won’t the spouse pick up his or her own coverage? I don’t understand the problem.
Most insurance companies will not pay for your coverage if you have your own through your own company. That is standard. It will only start paying if your policy doesn’t pay. I know this first hand.
It is a non-problem.
It sounds like people are looking for problems to blame on the ACA. Not saying its perfect but am saying this isn’t one if its by-products.
I’ve seen five or so in the past week – two maybe three began the same way “IH8…”
So what did they say they hated?
@Lyssa
Ha ha. I’m waiting to see LUVNLIF or something positive on one of the snake plates.
Maybe I will get one that says snake plate. snicker.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure.. Only three letters. It wasn’t 95!
@Moon-howler
You are mistaken. According to benefits consultant Mercer (see linked article below), only 6% of companies with 500 or more employees excluded working spouses from health insurance coverage in 2012. Mercer also says that provisions of Obamacare such as a per-participant fee is encouraging employers to reduce the number of people they cover.
UPS also cancelled coverage for working spouses of non-union workers last week.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/ups-to-end-health-insurance-for-working-spouses/2013/08/22/c28e451e-0b97-11e3-8974-f97ab3b3c677_story.html
I don’t believe I am mistaken. You are telling me that 94% of all companies employing 500 or more people pay for a spouse’s health insurance?
I can think of one company my husband worked for where I was paid for totally. that was many years ago.
Even if I was covered, the insurance company nowadays would insist that I use my own insurance as the primary.
Let me ask this question another way….why should companies pay for insurance for employee’s spouses when they have their own coverage?
That doesn’t even make sense. All that does is up the cost for that company.
I don’t get the impression that it is directly because of the ACA. Most jobs in this country seem to be smaller business anyway. The last part of his career, my husband worked for smaller companies. they never paid for my health care. My husband could have had me insured but absolutely it came out of our pocket. There might have been pay but the bulk of it was paid by the employee.
I don’t know about union jobs. My husband never worked a union job.
“You are both obviously very biased.” Wow, what a slam! Personally I cannot recall ever addressing the Zimmerman-Martin case on this blog except for the single sentence in #30. In fact, I have discussed the case very little on the blogs, having been a professional investigator of capital crimes and a trained and experienced surveillant/countersurveillant, as well as a long-time Neighborhood Watch patrol captain and finding it feckless to discuss crime with those without professional knowledge who prefer to bloviate about racial bias.
In the words made famous by Capt. George Harris, USN: “Bovine merde!!”
@Wolverine,
I mistakenly said your name rather than Second Alamo’s name. I don’t recall you having much to say about that case. In that regard, you are correct.
I have made the correction in names.
However, I don’t recall using the term ‘racial bias.’ I believe I simply said biased. I was speaking of Second Alamo and Cargo. It has been obvious since the case was first discussed on this blog whose ‘side’ they were on. I don’t know what motivated their feelings. I strongly suspect pro gun sentiments but I don’t know that for a fact.
@Moon-howler
Now its not about the case. Its about YOUR suspicions.
That’s exactly right. YOU DON”T KNOW. A. THING. about my feelings.
I’ve stated my position and you insist on ignoring it, basically calling me a liar. You are saying that I only supported Zimmerman due to some sort of bias. I described my reasoning and where it came from…the prosecution’s evidence and the news.
I supported the LAW. I don’t care if Zimmerman was guilty or innocent as long as the law was followed and the case decided on the evidence. Your statement implies that I support Zimmerman because of a bias so that means that I would do so regardless of the evidence. You’ve explained “ad nauseum?” Really? When it was YOUR statement that’s unclear? I couldn’t tell if you were saying that I was racially biased, politically biased, etc? Since a main cause of conflict in the case is race….I assumed that you were calling me a bigot. That’s what it looks like. NOW you’re back pedaling, and willing to tell someone else what you meant….but “we’ve moved on” is what I get? Basically you told me to shut up and go away.
And I thought that we were friends……or at least approaching that in blogging….
Not back pedaling at all. I called out the wrong person. We are friends but we aren’t friends on this subject. I strongly disagree with you and I feel your statements about Martin are incorrect. I read the internet and all the theories on what a Billy Bad-ass Martin was. I don’t believe they are reliable. The blogs have gone nuts with it and blogs are not reliable sources of information.
Now…one more time…this subject is closed. It has been discussed on this blog for going on a year now. I find it very disturbing. The boy is dead and not here to defend himself. His parents are living.
Hennety had Ted Cruz on his program tonight. That guy is so full of himself.
Talk about besserwisser!
What is besserwisser?
So how about that slut Miley Cyrus? No wonder young people today have such a dim view of the future.
There are a few here!
Yea, I have had a few close encounters recently.
Cargo: The O.J. Simpson case musty have turned your world inside out. The criminal court found him innocent and the civil court found him guilty. If the same thing happens to Zimmerman, would that change your stand that he was doing the right thing when posing for pictures in a gun factory? I am not asking whether he was within his rights to pose, but was it right to pose ?
I am surprised the Martin family isn’t suing civilly actually. That was the first thing I thought of. Perhaps they should now. Let’s see if that factory visit was such a good idea.
Not “musty” but “must”.
@BSinVA
The OJ cases did nothing for me. The civil court found him guilty. Ok. And if a civil court finds Z guilty…ok. Of course, OJ was tried for a crime that could not, in any way, be considered anything but murder.
If Z is charged in a civil wrongful death suit, then discovery goes to the respective histories of both. Otherwise, the civil case will still be restricted to self defense and that has already been proven.
I think that he is guilty and the court case was flawed.
But the case is closed. He was declared not guilty. I gave it no more thought.
As for posing….if he thought it was for a personal photo, why not? If its used in advertising….he should have gotten a contract. Since I think that Zimmerman was right in using self defense against an attacker…..there is nothing wrong in posing. Should Zimmerman hide because other people think that he should?
@Moon-howler
One who knows everything better (than everyone else).
(German origin)
From watching the news today, it looks like we are on the verge of getting involved in another war, which is none of our business and about which we have little understanding. One of the things I’ve liked most about President Obama has been his reluctance to engage in military meddling. It doesn’t look good now. Moon – I think you might need to start a new thread on this because they appear to be in the process of locking and loading as we speak. The stock market tanked, and gold and oil rallied today from the same concern.
I am not sure how I feel. Is it none of our business if genocide is being committed? Is it none of our business if chemical weapons are being used? How about nuclear?
I don’t have the answers but if you all want a war thread, I will do it tonight.
Ahhh, it’s so nice when a plan comes together. A Judicial Watch FOIA has uncovered a Defense Department manual for the the Defense Equal Opportunity Advisors Course given under the auspices of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute(DEOMI) at Patrick AFB in Cocoa Beach, Florida. I quote from the manual:
“In U.S. history, there are many examples of extremist ideologies and movements. The colonists who sought to free themselves from British rule and the Confederate States who sought to secede from the Northern states are just two examples.”
Now, I seem to recall some cantakerous poster here claiming that Tom Jefferson and the boys at Concord Bridge could well be labelled “fringe” under the current usage of the word here. Oh, no!!! Not our Tom!!! And now we find that the gummnt itself says those guys were extremists. And the DEOMI is apparently sticking by its words. Chuckle, chuckle.
Good one. Besserwisser. “I’m right!” “No, you’re wrong and biased! I’m right!” “No, you’re being unfair. I’m right!”
Besserwissers all over this place, everywhere. It’s like a besserwisser convention with entertainment.
Actually, this blog may be lucky to have all these besserwissers. There are a lot of local bogs where comment participation appears to have dropped severely. Too early to tell if it is the Summer doldrums or people just getting tired of the genre. Maybe when the election gets closer….
It runs hot and cold. Some days active, other days, not so much. We do try to vary the topics. I would say this has been the leanest summer ever.