January 21, 2012

SandBox Comments: Town Hall/Chuck Norris "My Endorsement for President"

Chuck Norris:

"Our republic as our Founding Fathers created it is under assault from extremists outside our country and anti-constitutionalists inside our country. Combine that with the flailing American economy and global markets and you see that Western civilization is on the brink, as experts and all the GOP presidential candidates agree.

President Barack Obama has tried and failed miserably to fix our economy, deepening us and our posterity into more than $6 trillion of additional national debt -- something he criticized former President George W. Bush for as "unpatriotic" and "irresponsible." Yet the unemployment rate remains at a higher level than it was when Obama was elected, and the dollar is as unstable as the Middle East.

Now is not the time to be mincing through minutiae and fighting with fellow party members. Rome is burning, and we need to appoint the best firefighters possible to rush in and put out the fire. What's critical at this point is to appoint a commander in chief who can clearly lead America to a more solvent and secure future.

No man or candidate is perfect. We all have skeletons in our closets. If buried bones become unforgivable bones of contention, the world will never know another Benjamin Franklin or King David. We must remember that we're electing a president, not a pastor or pope. The mainstream media and a billion-dollar campaign coffer are on the president's side, so we need a veteran of political war who already has fought Goliath, because he will be facing Goliath's bigger brother....."

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SandBox Comments: Eagle Valley Enterprise "On the loose"

We love Derek Franz on SandBoxBlogs.  He has a very loyal following of regional avatars of the feminine persuasion.

'zgnative', 'sssungirl0', 'hotmama' to name a few.

It could be that he's such a cutie,  That photo he posts on his op-ed columns in the PI is adorable.

lol.

'SandBox Nanny' simply appreciates his writing talent.  It's not easy to be the kind of writer who pontificates in conversational and heart-connecting style.  When one weaves their heart and most personal self into their words, it takes a great deal of energy and stamina to do that over periods of time.

Today, the topic is animal control.  Over on the Eagle Valley Enterprise.

"Nathan Lehnert is a gentle guy but he is often verbally abused by the public and has permanent bite mark scars on the back of his hand from doing his job...."
(Derek Franz)

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SandBox Comments: US Dept of Defense "Face of Defense: Marine Mechanic Makes Lifesaving Find"

We often overlook our military and law enforcement rank and file support personnel.

That is not intentional.  It's simply human nature.

Albeit a side to human nature we need to become more diligent on refining to higher standards.

When the lights come on, chow is served, fuel is in the tanks and the machine fires up; human nature has a tendency to not notice and take for granted.

Meet Marine Corps Sgt. Christopher Lemke, a mechanic with 'Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 369', nicknamed the "Gunfighters".

Who very well could have saved the lives of hundreds of American soldiers simply because the man is a natural in the world of machines.

Thank you so much for your service, Sgt. Lemke. 

By Marine Corps Cpl. Brian Adam Jones, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing:

"....Lemke is known for his work ethic.
“It’s no surprise to me,” Lemke’s supervisor, Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Ricardo Paez, said. “He’s always gone in there and done his job the right way.” Lemke said he hopes younger mechanics in the squadron -- the privates first class, lance corporals and corporals -- see that as aircraft maintainers, they hold lives in their hands. “I’m 24 years old and the responsibility we hold for our age is astronomical,” Lemke said. “I hope the junior guys around me realize that and go out and provide combat-capable aircraft for the Marines on the ground.”


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SandBox Comments; Grand Junction Daily Sentinel/Breaking News "Hackers shut down website for Utah police chiefs"

via Grand Junction Daily Sentinel:

"SALT LAKE CITY — A group of computer hackers protesting the shutdown of a popular file-sharing service have attacked the website for the Utah Chiefs of Police.

The Deseret News reports utahchiefs.org remains out of service today after it was targeted by people associated with “Anonymous.”...."

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SandBox Comments: Steamboat Today "Local Marketing District comes under scrutiny in wake of sales tax"

Tom Ross:

"I support this very much,” Scully said. “The public/private collaboration is critical. I’d like to know, where is the money coming from and where is it going, and what is it really translating into? It’s a lot of money. To me, the key is a scorecard. To me, it seems there should be a website.”

Ken Solomon asked that the LMD board consider broadening membership to represent the entire city.

“You’re receiving 50 percent of your (public) revenues from the new tax, and my understanding is there are only 600 eligible voters who live in the LMD out of about 8,000 voters in the city,” Solomon said. “It strikes me as unfair.”

LMD legal counsel Tom Sharp told Solomon that the requirement that members of the board be registered voters who live within the boundaries of the local marketing district is decreed by state statute and that the LMD has no power to change it. He added that when the LMD was created by City Council, it had the option to make itself the board of the LMD or to create the five-member board of LMD voters.

Steamboat businessman Steve Hitchcock told the board he thinks the LMD should pursue additional air service outside the ski season.

“With the new tax coming on and collected by businesses outside the LMD, I’d like to see the LMD take on the task of summer air,” Hitchcock said.

Porter replied that summer air service is on the LMD board’s agenda. Porter added that the revenues from the new tax will first be applied for the 2012-13 ski season.

At the city’s urging, public meeting notices for the LMD board now will be posted outside City Hall, at City Market and at the post office, as well as in a vestibule outside the Chamber’s offices at 125 Anglers Drive...."


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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News "ZG: In panic mode and some quality bathroom time"

lol.

Unless you have sat through a Pitkin County Commissioner's meeting (SandBox Nanny has), you cannot relate to ZG's dilemma.

If you have sat through these mind-numbing tests of endurance, then you will be able to pick up on the barely disguised tone of glee and relief in 'ZG's' words.

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SandBox Comments: Aspen Times " Bad reporting by Times"

Kendrick Neubecker, Carbondale:

"...He focused almost exclusively on two small moments that came during the question-and-answer period. Paul Menter was right to deflect what seemed more a personal attack in order to focus on the issues. Maurice Emmer's comments were a small part of the discussion yet occupy nearly a third of the article. And please tell me what the importance of Emmer's having “recently moved to Aspen” is in this discussion? That's irrelevant, unless you are more interested with obfuscating gossip rather than the issues.

Toward the end of the piece Salvail finally addresses some of what the forum was really about, but then only to repeat the falsely reassuring and inaccurate message from the city's side of the issue. The article never mentioned any of the points I made refuting the city's position, nor did Salvail attempt to speak with Menter or me afterward.

There was a serious and rich discussion of the real issues for nearly two hours, all largely ignored by Salvail. Did the article report on the city's mistaken characterization of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's licensing process? No, nor the correction that I offered. Did the article cover the discussion of stream ecosystems and the city's inadequate studies or monitoring program? No. Even the fact that the city has failed to hold up its part of a 14-year-old agreement to install stream gauges was ignored....."

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SandBox Comments: Summit County Citizens Voice "VIDEO: Stomping snow in Breckenridge"

(Photo credit:  Jenney Coberly)  Meet 'Greenman', who lived for only a matter of days in 2011.

Be sure to watch the video to see how much work goes into making the snow cubes that are the canvas for artists who come from all over the world for the technical week event.

Breck locals have been 'calling the snow' and paying homage to Ullr for weeks.

Self gratification has a number of outlets for snow junkies.  What outsiders don't understand is that a lot of work goes into the prep and maintenance of such a lifestyle.  Living in Paradise takes some work.

It isn't always a question of sacrifices to Ullr so that one can ski or ride. 

Being able to sit back after everyone goes home and watching someone like 'Greenman' melt is a wonderful thing.



"BRECKENRIDGE, CO — To paraphrase Michaelangelo, “Every block of snow has a sculpture inside it and it is the task of the artist to discover it....”
(Jenney Coberly via Summit Voice )


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