Author: Elena

Has everyone seen this story?  Maybe we can take a moment to stop talking about Kim Kardashian’s failed 72 day marriage!  I am being sarcastic of course, but the news does seems to be overwhelmed by stupidity yesterday and today. 

We can never forget the Oklahoma bombing and remember to be vigilant against home grown terrorism.  Let’s not fight about left or right, but remain committed to the idea that democracy has room for many different forms of ideology, but never, ever, can we allow ourselves to become to so angry that we would reap violence and devastation upon our fellow countrymen/women. 

WASHINGTON — Four Georgia men in their 60s and 70s were arrested Tuesday, accused of being members of a right-wing militia group that plotted to attack federal office buildings and to disperse a deadly biological poison in Atlanta.

Their alleged plot was revealed to the FBI by a confidential informant last spring, and members of the group have been meeting since May with someone they thought was a black-market weapons dealer but who turned out to be an undercover federal agent, according to court documents.

The documents say the men, Frederick Thomas, 73, of Cleveland, Ga.; Dan Roberts, 67, Ray Adams, 65, and Samuel Crump, 68, all of Toccoa, called themselves “the covert group” and began in March to talk about staging attacks against federal targets including the IRS.

“While many are focused on the threat posed by international violent extremists, this case demonstrates that we must also remain vigilant in protecting our country from citizens without our own borders who threaten our safety and security,” said the U.S. attorney in Atlanta, Sally Quillian Yates, in a written statement.

Politician Peter Candland missed work 2/3rds of the time as a member of the Budget Committee.

Peter Candland says his experience on a County Supervisor’s Budget Committee shows how he will work for us as Supervisor. But records show that Peter Candland missed 2/3rds of the meetings during his time on the committee. If Peter Candland can’t be trusted to show up to official meetings, how can we trust him to be there for us as our next Supervisor?

Missed 2/3rds of meetings

Peter Candland missed 13 of the 19 Budget Committee meetings while he was a member. That’s about 2/3rds of the time Peter Candland just didn’t show up.

This is the committee that helps our Supervisor make decisions on important issues like taxes and funding for local roads and schools. Yet Peter Candland failed in his responsibility to show up for these meetings.

Missed 90% of meetings in 2010

Missing committee meetings is a pattern for Peter Candland. In February of 2010, he temporarily removed himself from the committee during a critical period of time. And he missed nine consecutive meetings, attending only 1 of the 10 meetings held last year.

We need leaders who will fight every day for our families. We can’t count on Peter Candland if he doesn’t show up.

Paid for and authorized by Hendley for Supervisor.
Vote NO on Peter Candland.
He’s not ready to be County Supervisor.

Martin Berkofsky is a gifted child prodigy pianist.  He has spent most of  his life, using his musical gift, to raise money for others in need.  He has invested little in his own life’s needs. 

I have to divulge, he is also my son’s piano teacher.  He has been a blessing in our lives.  In his head, is a library, a libray of almost every piece of classical music you can imagine, its amazing.   Eli describes his playing as “though there are not enough keys on the piano”.  

He is holding a benefit concert on Sunday, October 16th, 2 p.m at the Warrenton Presbetaryn Chuch, 19 Maine Street.
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Bedtime is always a tad hectic in our household.  “Mom, I am NOT tired, everybody else I know gets to stay up much later” and then little sis chimes in, “Yeah, I agree with what Eli says”.  Exhausted audible sigh as I respond, trying to dig deep for that much needed patience that is so elusive at days end “well, guys, here is the deal, in this house, bedtime is 8:00, and I am not really too concerned about what other kids do or don’t do”.  “Now, lets brush teeth, and get jammies on so we can have snuggle time, I will be back in five minutes, so get cookin’  “. 

Walking into my bedroom to enlist “dads” help, I notice Dewey, frozen, almost as if in mid stride, staring at something. My eyes follow the direction of his body………. 

“What the (expletive that begins with F) is THAT in our shower?  Honey, you BETTER be playing a joke on me!” I loudly exclaim.

My husband walks over, his eyes now following in the same direction where Dewey AND I are intently focused, and, ever so calmly replies “yeah, I’m not playin’ a joke on  you, that’s a real snake.” 

“You go occupy the kids while I take care of the snake” he says.  Well, that sounded like a fair trade to me!  He comes back up the stairs less then ten minutes later, empty handed.  Whew!  Crisis resolved, my husband, the snake handler.

Dewey on the other hand, did not seem so relieved.  For the next hour, he sat vigil on the bed, staring intently at every movement he saw OR thought he saw. 

I gave him lots kisses and cuddles, but he was shaking for the longest time, and never, ever, in all my years of being a cat owner, have I ever seen a cat TUCK his tail between his legs.  Dewey wants to be brave, wants to be the house protector, but maybe he will just have to settle for cat sleuth.

Disclaimer:  This picture is a re-enactment with a fake snake from the toy box.  No snakes were harmed in this story, my husband carried the snake out by its neck and released it into the back yard.

Today the shofar is most commonly used on the Jewish New Year, called Rosh HaShanah (meaning “head of the year” in Hebrew). In fact, the shofar is such an important part of this holiday that another name for Rosh HaShanah is Yom Teruah, which means “day of the shofar blast” in Hebrew. The shofar is blown one hundred times on each of the two days of Rosh HaShanah. If one of the days of Rosh HaShanah falls on Shabbat, however, the shofar is not blown.

According to the famous Jewish philosopher Maimonides, the sound of the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is meant to wake up soul and turn its attention to the important task of repentance (teshuvah).

It is the eve of Rosh Hashanah, at sundown tonight, Jews all over the world have 10 days to make amends, reflect on the past year, and promise to be a better person.  This is the  time to ask for forgiveness and give forgiveness.  This is the time to be thankful for all that you have and make an effort to help those who are in need.

Tonight we will celebrate with apples dipped in honey in hopes for a sweet year.   Our Challah loaf will be round, symbolic of the cycle of life, a cycle that repeats itself generation after generation. 

I wish for all my friends, no matter what their faith , that they have a sweet year, full of love and peace.

Politics, like life, can be quite convoluted. While reading my favorite Washington Post writer this morning, Dana Milbank, he shared some very interesting historical facts about the loan program that allowed funds to be awarded to the solar company Solyndra.

Since the solar-energy company went belly-up a few weeks ago — leaving taxpayers on the hook for $535 million in loan guarantees — a business that was once the poster child for President Obama’s green-jobs initiative has instead become a tool for Republicans to discredit most everything the administration seeks to do.

Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah used Solyndra to argue against worker-training benefits. Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina used it to argue that the federal government should stay out of autism research. Disaster relief, cancer treatments, you name it: Solyndra has been an argument against them.

Yes, Republicans have been using the fiasco of Solyndra as their poster child against, not only the Obama administration as a whole, but more generally, against the use of government funds to promote private business initiatives.

And this week, the government faced the prospect of a shutdown because House Republicans added a provision to the spending bill to draw more attention to — what else? — Solyndra.

“Because of some of the horrible weather we have had over the past several weeks, we have all agreed to add emergency funds we didn’t originally plan in this bill, and Republicans have identified a couple of cuts,” explained Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, including “a cut to a loan-guarantee program that gave us the Solyndra scandal.”

Now just wait, I am about to get to the good part. I had been under the impression that the Obama adminstration had “birthed” (pardon the pun, the use of this word is NOT to be confused with the crazy “birther” movement”)this loan program as part of the stimulus bill. Au Contraire my friends!
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So, what does all this mean?  Honestly, I won’t pretend to understand the full ramifications of this downgrading, but I can tell, from what I have been reading in the Washington Post and New York Times, it isn’t anything good.

What I can ascertain, is that being unable to fully come to the table to compromise is the financial death knell for this country.  What if, for example, the Democrats were to say, we will only allow deep tax cuts to cut 4 trillion dollars?  Can you imagine, the Republicans would have an epileptic fit!  As they rightly should.  Inversely, how could the Republicans believe that Democrats would only be willing to sign a deal based on spending cuts alone? 

Obama put a deal on the table for 4 trillion dollars, Boehner was willing to talk, but what happens, the Tea Party cuts his feet out from below him.  They actually admit, proudly I might add, they are unwilling to compromise. 

This quote from the Washington Post says it best.  There was actually the beginnings of something really grand, something this country had never seen before, Democrats willing to put their sacred entitlement cows on the table, but where were the Republicans and their sacred cows………AWOL!

S&P’s downgrade was as much a political critique as a financial conclusion. It is based on a view that American political leaders would be unable to come up with at least $4 trillion in savings, which is needed to bring the nation’s debt to a manageable level over the next decade.

How this will effect our overall economy is yet to be seen, there are many different views, the future is uncertain. 

S&P stated it bluntly when they made their decision to downgrade, it wasn’t just based on not dealing with the debt, it was based on their belief that Congress would be unable to come together to solve this pressing issue.  This wasn’t a time for ideological grandstanding, it was a time for people to come together, in good faith, and compromise.  Thanks for nothing Tea Party.  I just cannot fathom there were those in the fringe wing of the Republican Party who actually wanted to allow the United States to default?  Shocking and Frightening.   This truly was a completely self inflicted wound at time when this country could least afford it.

The downgrade reflects our view that the effectiveness, stability, and predictability of American policymaking and political institutions have weakened at a time of ongoing fiscal and economic challenge,” the company said in a statement.

Ten Candidates Sign Rural Crescent Pledge
Press Conference Aug. 4, 2:00 pm, McCoart Govt. Center

In 2000, Prince William citizens, concerned with protecting the integrity of the Rural Crescent and its associated community benefits, formed the Advocates for the Rural Crescent. We are a bipartisan organization comprised of community members throughout Prince William County.

The Rural Crescent stands as Prince William County’s unique land use tool. It is not merely a means of conserving open space, but just as importantly, it is a critical tool that directs high density development to areas where infrastructure is already in place and encourages redevelopment in targeted areas, such as the Route 1 corridor.

We all have a vested interest in Prince William County and the viability of the Rural Crescent. In the spirit of that endeavor, we invite all candidates – new and incumbent candidates who have honored previous pledges – to clarify their position by signing a pledge to uphold the Rural Crescent, as described in the Prince William County Comprehensive Plan.

We are pleased to announce that most candidates running for seats on the Prince William County Board of Supervisors have signed our pledge, committing to uphold the Rural Crescent and signaling their support for better managed growth Countywide. These candidates include:

Board Chairman – John Gray, Babur Lateef
Gainesville District – Martha Hendley, Ann Wheeler, Suzanne Miller, Michael High.
Brentsville District – Jeanine Lawson
Coles District – Bob Pugh, Anthony Arnold
Occoquan District – Mike May (Reaffirmation)

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