Monthly Archives: May 2010

Thoughts In Two Classic Poems

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THE FOLLOWING POEMS, IN FLANDERS FIELD BY LT. COLONEL JOHN McCrae AND TOMMY BY RUDYARD KIPLING SAY MORE ABOUT THE TRUE FEELING OF SERVICEMEN, AND NOW WOMEN, THROUGHOUT OUR WORLD THAN ANY OTHER POEMS ON THE SUBJECT OF WAR AND SERVICE.  AND, EACH POEM DOES SO IN PLAIN, UNSTILTED LANGUAGE.  AS MEMORIAL DAY PASSES , I POST THE POEMS IN THE HOPE THAT OUR MEN AND WOMEN WILL NO LONGER DIE, OR BECOME DISABLED IN  WAR … UNDECLARED OR OTHERWISE.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Detailed information concerning the circumstances of the penning of In Flanders Fields can be found here

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Saved Memories About Memorial Day For Memorial Day 2010

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THE FOLLOWING WAS OFFERED AS A PART OF VALLEY VIEW CHRISTIAN CHURCH’S WEEKLY UPDATE.  IT WAS SENT TO THE CONGREGATION ON MAY 28, 2010 BY THE PASTOR, BRANDON SHAFFER

A Note From Brandon

Memorial Day, perhaps more than any other holiday, was born of human necessity. Deep inside all of us lies a fundamental desire to make sense of life and our place in it and the world. What we have been given, what we will do with it and what we will pass to the next generation is all part of an unfolding history, a continuum that links one soul to another.

Abraham Lincoln pondered these thoughts in the late fall of 1863. His darkest fear was that he might well be the last president of the United States, a nation embroiled in the self-destruction of what he described as “a great civil war..testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.” He began his remarks with those words as he stood on the battlefield near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on November 19th of that year.

The minute’s speech that became known as Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address turned into what might be called the first observance of Memorial Day. Lincoln’s purpose that day was to dedicate a portion of the battlefield as a cemetery for the thousands of men, both living and dead, who consecrated that soil in the sacrifice of battle. Said Abraham Lincoln: “That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause which they gave the last full measure of devotion…that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom…”

The next year, a pleasant Sunday in October of 1864 found a teenage girl, Emma Hunter, gathering flowers in a Boalsburg, Pennsylvania cemetery to place on the grave of her father. He was a surgeon who had died in service to the Union Army in that great Civil War. Nearby, Mrs. Elizabeth Meyer was strewing flowers upon the grave of her son Amos, a private who had fallen on the last day of the battle of Gettysburg. Emma respectfully took a few of her flowers and put them on the grave of Amos. Mrs. Meyer, in turn, laid some of her freshly cut blooms on the grave of Dr. Hunter. Both women felt a lightening of their burdens by this act of honoring each other’s loss, and agreed to meet again the next year. This time they agreed they would also visit the graves of those who had no one left to honor them.

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Matthews Loves, er Likes Limbaugh

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Chris Matthews during an edition of Hardball i...
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By Chuck Ring (GadaboutBlogalot ©2009 – 2010)

Quote Freely From The Article – Leave The Pseudonym Alone

And, here below is the proof.  We’ve often suspected a certain jealousy as the cause of rage sometimes exhibited by Chris, but now it seems possible, that it might be a true admirer’s envy … one step below jealousy, perhaps.  Chris let it out of the bag as he discussed the Clintonian excuse — make that alibi, in the Sestak  crawl-along, as reported on Mediaite.

Chris Matthews knows how to tip his hat to an adversary for a job well done. After making him one of Hardball’s chief villains, Matthews played a clip of Rush Limbaugh last night taking a stab at Bill Clinton for his involvement in the Joe Sestak White House job case, and chuckled to himself, “even he can get it right sometimes.”

See, it’s that chuckling to himself that tells the story.  If he isn’t a tad delusional, then he has to be in love or in a lot of like.  But, the best part, whether you believe he is an entertainer or a royal pain in the harbinger, is Russ L’s part, which you can see by accessing the complete article to click on the video.

What’s next … a Caribbean cruise.

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Upcoming Great Events At Edgewood Community Library

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Dear All:  WATER YOUR MIND, READ!

The library is going to be very busy this summer!  We have two summer reading programs planned:  children and adult.  Andrea is handling the children, whereas I am in charge of the adult.  This email describes the adult SRP.  All events are free.

Background:  Our library was one of 15 libraries chosen to receive a grant through the partnership with the NM State Library & the NM Humanities Council.  Participating libraries offer an adult SRP to their community.  The featured Club book is The Secret Knowledge of Water by Craig Childs.

Adult Summer Reading Program:  There are two parts to the program:  CLUB and PROGRAMS.

CLUB: Registrants receive a library copy of Childs book (library card required for book checkout), & a bag with Club schedule, program flyers, reading log, & goodies.  We shall have discussions on Childs book, & independent readings of other books.  Prizes will be awarded for books read.  Reading logs & book reviews are to be collected for an end-of-program bulletin board display (with patron permission, of course).  A pizza party is planned for all participants!

Registration Dates:  June 21-30.

Club Meetings:  Tuesdays, July 6 & 20, & August 3 & 17, 7:00 pm at the library.

PROGRAMS:  The adult programs are for everyone.  Club membership not required in order to attend the programs.  Attached please find flyers which advertise all seven programs.  Craig Childs will open the adult SRP with a special program on June 20 at 2:00 pm.  The topic of this program is “The Shape of Water.”  He plans on showing slides of travels & discuss personal experiences with water.  Programs are all scheduled at the Edgewood Community Center.

Adult Program SRP Slides

Please contact me with any questions.  We appreciate your continued support of the library.

Registration for the children’s SRP is now on.  Andrea has planned a great program!

Peggy Martinez

Librarian

Edgewood Community Library

#95 Hwy 344 North

PO Box 1134

Edgewood, NM  87015

(505) 281-0138

pmartinez@edgewood-nm.gov

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Want Your Mind Boggled … Watch These Videos

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Great Seal of the State of Arizona as seen on ...
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By Chuck Ring (GadaboutBlogalot ©2009 – 2010)

Quote Freely From The Article – Leave The Pseudonym Alone

What you are to see in the videos offered, will cause all but the most experienced viewer with knowledge of such matters, to wonder at the sheer size of the problems faced in protecting our borders from illegal immigrants looking for work and those looking to destruct.  The question of whether those bent on our destruction can approach and cross our borders with seeming impunity has been answered for others.  Now as you watch these videos from hidden cameras which are placed along human and drug smuggling corridors, you will see for yourself  the  numbers in bodies, and sometimes in drugs that creep or rush across the border we share with Mexico.  And, keep in mind that this is just a small part of the border we share.  There’s California, New Mexico and Texas illegal trafficking to be calculated and added to Arizona‘s experience to get the full picture.

Now  a word or two about the website you are about to access.  It is maintained and operated by an person or group that knows the meaning of the idea of dedication to a cause.  The sheer number of clips and longer videos available to you should leave no question in your mind in that regard.  I don’t know the name of the manager of the group, although I could probably find out with a little searching, but it is clear with the absence of identifying information he or she is not interested in being identified.

So, what you will view by clicking on the following link, will be Border Invasion Pics

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Required Reading & Viewing — Terrible Housekeeping & Bad Manners

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By Chuck Ring (GadaboutBlogalot ©2009 – 2010)

Quote Freely From The Article – Leave The Pseudonym Alone

I have seen the images and some of the text below quite some time in the past.  Let’s say around a year ago.  Today I received them in an email from a friend.  The images and the text were not attributed, but I have left both as I received them.  Any reader is welcome to draw whatever conclusion they will … or not draw any conclusion at all, if you wish and if you can keep from a conclusion hitting you in the rear.  I did take the time to check this out on Snopes and the link to the Snopes piece will be found at the very bottom of this post.



This is on an ‘illegal super – highway’ from Mexico to the USA (Tucson) used by human smugglers.


This area is located in a wash, approximately 1.5 miles long, just south of Tucson, Arizona. If a flood came, all this would be washed to the river!



It is estimated over 5,000 discarded backpacks are in this wash.  Countless water containers, food wrappers, clothing, feces, including thousands of soiled baby diapers. And as you can see in this picture, fresh footprints leading right into it.



As we kept walking down the wash, we thought for sure it was going to end, but around every corner was more and more trash!





And of course the trail leading out of the wash in our city, heads directly NORTH to Tucson, then leads to your town tomorrow.





They’ve already come through here. Isn’t Arizona just beautiful, America?

Why would you boycott us???



Our desert has basically been turned into a landfill.





The trash left behind by people illegally crossing our border is another Environmental Disaster to hit the USA.

 If these actions had been done in one of our Northwest Forests or Seashore National Parks areas, there would be an uprising of the American people…..but this is the Arizona-Mexican border.

 You won’t see these pictures on CNN, ABC, NBC or the Arizona Republic Repugnant newspaper.  Nor will they mention the disease that comes from the uncovered human waste left in our desert.

 However, with respect to CNN, ABC & NBC, they do offer us “Special Reports” on cheating celebrity spouses….

The above constitutes the end of the images and text I received today.  Here is the link to the Snopes piece (2007, Updated May 2010) that actually provides more information.

Also in looking around in Zemanta (Link Below) I’ve found that a fellow who calls himself Chicago Ray has posted an article with the same images and text (with a bonus image at the head of his article.) Here is the link to his article and you’ll also find it below.  A word of warning about Chicago Ray’s article it does have some expletives or risque language.

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Democrats, Independents, Republicans And Assorted Others

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By Chuck Ring (GadaboutBlogalot ©2009 – 2010)

Quote Freely From The Article – Leave The Pseudonym Alone

Are raising funds mostly by the buckets full, but certainly plenty of funds, no matter the container.  Open Secrets from The Center For Responsive Politics is an excellent starting point to finds most anything you’d want to know about all the Congress members and their fundraising.  From the homepage of the website, one can drill down and find plenty of detail.

For instance, if you are interested in the 111th Congress fundraising and other details you might start on this page.  Want to go back to another time … you can go back to the 105th Congress should you desire. Let’s say, you’d like to know the total dollar amount raised by Representative Martin Heinrich since 1989, which would include fundraising for time he was a member or a candidate for the Albuquerque City Council.  No problem, click on his name which is accessible alphabetically, and it will be revealed.

You get the idea, but there is much more to seek as you will find, once you study the site.

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Slick Stealth Tax

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By Chuck Ring (GadaboutBlogalot ©2009 – 2010)

Quote Freely From The Article – Leave The Pseudonym Alone

We will soon have a four-fold oil tax increase from eight cents to thirty-two cents on a barrel of oil if Congress gets its way.  It doesn’t matter if it is domestic or foreign produced, the tax will be applied and the “trickle-down tax”  will make its way to your wallets and purses.

The reason for the tax according to our Congress as reported by the Associated Press (AP):

… The revenue goes to a fund managed by the Coast Guard to help pay to clean up spills in waterways, such as the Gulf of Mexico.

The tax increase is part of a larger bill that has grown into a nearly $200 billion grab bag of unfinished business that lawmakers hope to complete before Memorial Day. The key provisions are a one-year extension of about 50 popular tax breaks that expired at the end of last year, and expanded unemployment benefits, including subsidies for health insurance, through the end of the year.

Yes, that’s right to the Coast Guard … a part of our military that has not the ability, nor equipment to clean-up an oil spill, or any other monumental ecological disaster.  Bet that the money will fall down the rat’s hole that “cash for clunkers” and other such programs have seen. But what does our President and Senator Reid have to say:

Lawmakers want to increase the current 8-cent-a-barrel tax on oil to make sure there is enough money available to respond to oil spills. At least 6 million gallons of crude have spewed into the Gulf of Mexico since a drilling rig exploded April 20 off the Louisiana coast.

President Barack Obama and congressional leaders have said they expect BP to foot the bill for the cleanup. (emphasis added)

“Taxpayers will not pick up the tab,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Monday. (emphasis added)

British Petroleum (BP) has said they will pay for the clean-up and say that they have already expended $760 million during effort to clean-up the spill in the Gulf and have not indicated they will place a monetary cap on their efforts:

The bill does not address a federal law that caps liability at $75 million for economic damages beyond direct cleanup costs (emphasis added.)  Democratic Senators tried to pass a bill last week that would have increased the cap to $10 billion, but they were blocked by Republicans.

BP, if it is to be believed, has already spent just over ten times what they are, by statute, are required to pay and there is no indication, by hint or otherwise, they intend to quit paying.

Here’s more from the article, here’s the bill ( H.R. 4213) and the place to read the bill.  As you wait to read the bill, think about the expanded role of the Federal government and the result of President Obama’s and this Congress’ final result … take a guess, will it be socialism or statism.

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Tom Mullins For Congress, District 3

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I HAVE MADE THE OFFER FOR ANY POLITICAL CANDIDATE TO HAVE THEIR CAMPAIGN INFORMATION POSTED ON THIS BLOG.  THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THIS SERVICE AND PARTISAN MEMBERSHIP IS NOT A CONCERN.  HERE IS THE INFORMATION


more about “Tom Mullins For Congress, District 3“, posted with vodpod

Endorsements:
Albuquerque Journal
http://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/editorials/22214736opinion05-22-10.htm

Farmington Daily Times
http://www.daily-times.com/farmington-editorials/ci_15144669

Taos News
http://www.taosnews.com/articles/2010/05/23/opinion/doc4bf59cf567093854682191.txt

Santa Fe New Mexican
http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Opinion/Editorial-for-May-22–2010

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What Passes For Gases — May Turn Out To Be …

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By Chuck Ring (GadaboutBlogalot ©2009 – 2010)

Quote Freely From The Article – Leave The Pseudonym Alone

One might say big smoke and mirrors, but I guess smoke doesn’t always lead to fire … perhaps, just a lot of heat from friction.  To those who like or love to file Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) requests, you’re going to love this account which may instead work its way to the inquiry with a subpoena through theVirginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act.

Whether you like the idea of global warming or climate change which is touted as mostly man- made or not, you’ll enjoy this battle between the forces of give it to me or else, in the person of the Attorney General (AG) of  Virginia and the  administrators and academics of the University of Virginia (UVa.)

Just what might the AG be looking to grab with his legal filing?  Just Michael Mann’s “stuff” according to a guest editorial in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.  The editorial, written by Christopher C. Horner, lays the case out quite well for obedience of the legal process, but the  UVa folks are digging their heel in to argue:

The University of Virginia indicates it will challenge Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli’s request for records produced, using taxpayer resources, by former Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences Michael Mann. This is regrettable. Cuccinelli is following smoke to see if there is fire, prompted by troubling revelations in leaked documents that raise serious questions about Mann’s activities while at the university.

What is it that makes the folks at the UVa believe they can trump the AG?  According to the article the argument will be:

UVa’s Faculty Senate has condemned Cuccinelli’s request, calling it a serious infringement upon academic freedom and assault on the freedom of scientific inquiry. It joins a chorus of voices enjoying massive financial support from the taxpayer but who, it seems, believe that this should come without conditions, established by law, which follow the money.

We all remember Michael Mann’s part, or said to be part, in “climategate”.  Well the AG’s request or process has to do with this about that:

Despite intense efforts to wave the revelations away, the admissions and code annotations establish, among other things, efforts to “hide the decline” in temperatures, and patch thermometer data on the end of tree ring reconstructions despite admonition by colleagues not to do so for it was improper.

Without implausibly recasting the evidence as a series of misinterpretations, how does the attorney general justify ignoring this mountain of evidence in the public domain?

This story has more twists and turns than a knotted snake and the reader will really get more out of it when he or she is able to see the discretionary prejudice the the UVa tries to exercise.  The story is well worth the read, no matter which side of the smoke screen you land on. Choose your beverage and click  here , read the editorial and don’t forget the comments. You’ll enjoy both. I promise and you’ll wonder how it all happens the way it happens.

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