Open Thread……………………………………January 1

MoonHowler

january

Happy New Year!  So far, we haven’t seen any of the white stuff.  Good.  Our heating bills are lower and kids are in school.  There are fewer pot holes, unless of course you are out at Silver Lake.

Still–a winter without snow?  We haven’t even had  much weather below freezing.  Is this El Nino or something more sinister?

New Years Resolutions?  I have given up.  I am going to keep going to the gym a couple times a week.  I will keep communicating with my friends and I will play with my new toys.  I got an Echo and I bought myself a new Mac.  Life is good.   Downton Abby is about ready to start.  February brings Game of Cards.

Just doing my part to ignore the election.

Is Trump being set up for a Bill Clinton beat-down?

MoonHowler

Donald J. TrumpVerified account ‏@realDonaldTrump Dec 26

Hillary Clinton has announced that she is letting her husband out to campaign but HE’S DEMONSTRATED A PENCHANT FOR SEXISM, so inappropriate!

Trump needs to be very careful about what he wishes for.   Has he forgotten who  he is messing with?   Trump might be smart, or so he wants us to believe.  He is, however, no match for Bill Clinton, who might be one of the most intelligent political minds of the past 100 years.
I am almost salivating at the thought.  This latest running of the Trump Trash Trap does not serve him well.  There is no overlap of base.  If nothing else, if Trump keeps rattling, he will energize all the Bill Clinton lovers who might just not be as enthusiastic over  Hillary.  (yes I will vote for her but must I also be excited about it?) Once they see the old Bill back in action, all those warm fuzzy Bill feelings will come rushing back, despite the baggy eyes and the skinnier body.
Trump will awaken a sleeping giant.  There are a lot of people out there who will vote for Hillary just to get Bill back.  that even includes Republicans.  yes, Hillary does have a magic bullet.  Watch out, Trump.  You are a foolish, foolish man.
Note:  Readers are reminded of the sacred cow list.

Trump and RPV at war

MoonHowler

It seems that the Donald is opposed to the pledge that voters must sign in the primary and has gone to extraordinary lengths to express himself.

Washingtonpost.com:

RICHMOND — Donald Trump slammed the Republican Party of Virginia via Twitter on Sunday for its plan to require that 2016 primary voters sign a statement confirming they are Republicans.

Trump and others say the requirement could discourage independent and first-time voters from casting primary ballots in Virginia, where primaries are open to all registered voters.

According to some experts, the voter pledge has the potential to hurt Trump, in particular, because his un­or­tho­dox candidacy has attracted voters disenchanted with traditional party politics.

“It begins, Republican Party of Virginia, controlled by the RNC, is working hard to disallow independent, unaffiliated and new voters. BAD!” Trump said in one of five tweets sent over several hours on Sunday.

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Peace on Earth, Good Will Towards (Wo)Men Christmas 2015

MoonHowler

wiccan Christmas

 

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas or a joyous season for whatever they celebrate.

Peace on earth seems to be in short supply, as does good will towards men and women, particularly those with whom we disagree.

Hopefully for one day, good people can put way their angst and think about what is really important to them.

What will your holiday meal be like?  The Howlers will be having a cookout tomorrow afternoon on the deck.  If this is global warming, I plan to enjoy it with hot dogs and really good hamburgers….none of that ordinary reindeer meat stuff.

 

Out of staters’ concealed weapon permit no longer recognized by Virginia

MoonHowler

Virginia-Reciprocity-Map-CCW

Washingtonpost.com:

RICHMOND — Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced Tuesday that the commonwealth will no longer recognize out-of-state concealed handgun permits, part of a national push to circumvent legislatures opposed to tightening gun laws.

Herring (D) said 25 states have lax laws compared with Virginia, where a history of stalking, drug dealing or inpatient mental health treatment can disqualify someone from carrying a concealed handgun. The move is in step with actions governors and attorneys general are taking to address gun violence without going through Republican-controlled legislatures.

“While you are here, you are subject to the commonwealth’s gun laws,” Herring said during a news conference.

But Herring’s office could not say how many people are suspected of crossing into Virginia with concealed weapons to commit crimes, and Republican lawmakers sharply criticized the move, which enforces laws already on the books.

Nevertheless, more than 6.3 million people who could legally carry concealed handguns into Virginia today will lose the privilege when the change takes effect next year. An additional 420,000 Virginians with concealed-carry permits will no longer enjoy reciprocity when they travel to six states.

Help me out here folks.  I have no idea what part of this means.    I understand that people with permits from lax states will not have their permits honored in Virginia.

Who are the 6.3 million people who are going to lose the privilege  of concealed-carry?

Why will 420,000 Virginians be cut off from reciprocity?   Is that automatic?

The 420,000 number is just about the same number of uninsured Virginians because the General Assembly won’t approve Medicaid funds.  Perhaps a deal could be struck.  I suppose that is an argument for another post.

Little Trumpy Trash Trap

MoonHowler

vulgar

Washingtonpost.com:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Donald Trump used vulgar language as he attacked Hillary Clinton during a rally on Monday night, saying her use of the restroom at the last Democratic debate was “too disgusting” to talk about and that in 2008 she got “schlonged” by Barack Obama when he defeated her in the Democratic primary.

Standing before a crowd of 7,500, Trump recounted how Clinton was seconds late to the Democratic debate stage on Saturday night following a commercial break. Trump asked the crowd four times where Clinton had gone.

“I know where she went — it’s disgusting, I don’t want to talk about it,” Trump said, screwing up his face, as the crowd laughed and cheered. “No, it’s too disgusting. Don’t say it, it’s disgusting.”

Later in the night, Trump told the crowd that he could not picture Clinton as president because she never wins at anything. He then brought up the 2008 Democratic primary, which Clinton lost to Barack Obama.

“She was favored to win, and she got schlonged,” Trump said, turning a vulgar noun for a large penis into a verb.

Donald– Ewwwwww.  Just Ewwwwww

What is his problem?  Has he always been the little rich boy who thought he could use women and talk trash about him?  This indecent behavior towards women simply makes him unacceptable to be president.  He is an embarrassment.

Those supporting him need to keep this in mind.  It will rub off.

Would you want this man to date your daughter or your sister?  Would you want him around your mother?

His manners about men aren’t really much better.  However, we don’t have special names for men who characteristically hate other men.  Trump is absolutely a misogynist.

Trump continues the Putin bromance

MoonHowler

Washingtonpost.com:

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump defended Russian President Vladimir Putin against accusations that he has assassinated political adversaries and journalists, responding to criticism from his rivals over his embrace of praise from the Russian leader.

“Nobody has proven that he’s killed anyone. … He’s always denied it. It’s never been proven that he’s killed anybody,” Trump said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “You’re supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, at least in our country. It has not been proven that he’s killed reporters.”

Ahem….[deep throat clearing]….is this the same Donald Trump who wants to drag Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl out and publically execute him, before he is court-martialed?  Why would Trump have greater regard for an egotistical world leader who is noted for military crimes of aggression against Chechnya and Georgia, to Ukraine and annexation of Crimea.

Perhaps Mr. Trump has hitched his wagon to the wrong star.  I also feel confident that any democrat who sang the songs of praise towards Putin like Trump has done would soon be facing a Congressional hearing.  I can think of a few in Congress and the Senate who would be attempting to dig up the body of Senator Joe McCarthy to lead a communism witch hunt.

Let’s at least allow Bergdahl to stand military trial.

 

Open Thread……………………………….December 1

MoonHowler

winter sun

 

There is just nothing like light shining through bare trees to magnify the beauty of the earth and the sky.  You don’t have to wait for the Solstice to enjoy bare trees and sunlight.

Rain will usher in this December– Cold, bone-chilling rain.  Will there be snow?  Will this winter be snowy?  What signs to you look for?

My all time reliable signal of snow to come is trees that are heavily-laden with fruit, nuts, berries or seeds.  I think we might be in for some of the white stuff this winter.

Florida Atlantic University attempts to fire Sandy Hook denier assistant professor

MoonHowler

Sandy_Hook_shooting_angels_December_2012

Washingtonpost.com:

Florida Atlantic University on Wednesday moved to fire a professor who outraged many by calling the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School an elaborate hoax.

James Tracy, an associate professor at the university,  has written that although the news media reported that 26 people died in a mass shooting at the school in Newtown, Conn., the incident was staged.

Last week, the parents of  one child, Lenny and Veronique Pozner, wrote an opinion piece in the Sun-Sentinel that began: “It’s been three years since we last embraced our precious little boy, Noah. At six-years-old, he was the youngest child murdered at the Sandy Hook Elementary School….

“The heartache of burying a child is a sorrow we would not wish upon anyone. Yet to our horror, we have found that there are some in this society who lack empathy for the suffering of others. Among them are the conspiracy theorists that deny our tragedy was real. They seek us out and accuse us of being government agents who are faking our grief and lying about our loss.”

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About those sanctuary charges….PWC is not a “sanctuary county”

MoonHowler

howl more whine less

Funniest thing. Two local bloggers go berserk making all sorts of charges about Prince William County becoming a sanctuary city. they obviously need to spend more time howling and less time whining and making up crap.

Those of us who have been around a while and who were involved with immigration issue remember all too well what happened.  We knew it wasn’t true.  Our police department has always cooperated with I.C.E.

That didn’t stop the local bloggers. One them  absolutely knew better. He wanted to send the immigrants back with love.  In fact, he led the charge to send them out and drive them out.  (I would sure hate to see “hate”.) The other one just wanted to take a few more pokes at Melissa Peacor and Chief Hudson. There might have even been a little gouge or two directed at Corey Stewart, just to poke the bear.

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PW election official in hot water over absentee ballots

MoonHowler

Washingtonpost.com:

 

RICHMOND — Election officials in Prince William County this week asked the Commonwealth’s attorney to investigate one of their own.

They say Guy Anthony Guiffré, a member of the county electoral board, might have broken state and federal laws in his quest to determine whether someone improperly used technology to impersonate voters in last month’s election.

At issue is a state rule that says a voter can apply for an absentee ballot online using an electronic signature instead of the old-fashioned way — with paper and pen.

Guiffré, a Republican, says the system opens the door to fraud. To prove it, he recruited four friends — while the county’s registrar was away — to inspect 151 absentee ballot documents and registration records laden with Social Security numbers and other personal information. In doing so, Democrats say, he compromised the meticulous process used to handle ballots, usurped his authority and violated voter privacy.

“It’s my obligation as an individual electoral board member to make sure if I see something that looks extremely suspicious to do something about it,” he said.
State election officials, the two Democrats on the county’s electoral board and the registrar don’t see it that way.

 

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A fond farewell to Supervisor Mike May

MoonHowler

mike may
Supervisor Mike May will be leaving the Board of County Supervisors. His colleagues and other members of the community spoke highly of Mike, some tearfully.

Mike will be sorely missed. I might not have always agreed with him about every issue but I can never criticize the quiet, thoughtful demeanor he exhibited on the board.

Mike was not always predictable. Sometimes you didn’t know how he was going to vote on an issue. You could always be assured that he put great thought into each issue. He will be missed and hopefully his replacement will come to the table ready to serve the county as well as Mike May has.

A shout out for Dave’s Dogs

MoonHowler

daves dog
From Dave’s Dogs Facebook page:

TO OUR CUSTOMERS:

Dave’s Dogs is shut down.

…

Dave’s Dogs opened for business in June 2014. From day 1, Dave has been committed to keeping his business in the county where he lives and loves.

In the last year, since we started donating 100% of tips to help hard to adopt cats and dogs at the Prince William County animal shelter find new homes, thanks to your generosity we have paid $600-$800 every month in adoption fees to the shelter and vet fees for spay and neuters for nearly 50 animals that are now in their forever homes.

Dave pays 6% sales tax to the state of Virginia, more than 25% of which goes to Prince William County.

Dave donated 100% of his time and all of the food to the recent Prince William County animal shelter staff and volunteer appreciation event.

Dave gives discounts to Prince William County fire/rescue/police and the military. .

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All L. A. schools shut down over terrorist threat

MoonHowler

Washingtonpost.com:

All Los Angeles Unified School District schools have been ordered closed Tuesday due to a “credible threat” of violence to students at numerous schools in the sprawling district, and a schools official confirmed that it was a bomb threat to the school district.

Los Angeles Unified is the nation’s second-largest school district, with more than 900 campuses and more than 640,000 students. Ramon Cortines, the school system’s superintendent, said the threat was against students at multiple schools. LAUSD spokeswoman Monica Carazo confirmed that it was a bomb threat.

“It was not to one school, two schools or three schools, it was many schools, not specifically identified, but there were many schools,” Cortines said. “That’s the reason that I took the action that I did.”

This behavior could make for a long school year.  If it works once and there is no threat, then what happens?  Closing down a school system with 600,000 students must be the worst nightmare in the world.  Do they do it every time a threat is called in?

My understanding is that the threat was electronically communicated to one school board member in particular.  I think the story is changing.    New York is also on high alert.

TV says the “threat is being analyzed,” whatever that means.

Multiculturalism: A rose by any other name?

MoonHowler

multi

Huffingtonpost.com:

In an address to the Christian Democratic Union on Monday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged to limit the flow of refugees entering the country, addressing critics in her own party who have questioned her decision to open Germany’s borders.

As a top economic and political power, Germany has a “humanitarian imperative” to accept people fleeing turmoil in Syria, Merkel said. Yet after accepting roughly 1 million refugees so far this year, she added that the country must now “noticeably reduce” the number of new arrivals.

In comments The Guardian translated into English, Merkel said refugees will have to make an effort to assimilate into German society. She also dismissed the idea of multiculturalism, which in parts of Europe is associated with a policy of encouraging distinct cultural groups to live in separate communities.

“Those who seek refuge with us also have to respect our laws and traditions, and learn to speak German,” she said. “Multiculturalism leads to parallel societies, and therefore multiculturalism remains a grand delusion.”

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