February 5, 2012

SandBox Comments: Town Hall "How Did Christian Churches Survive 2,000 Years without Obama Mandates to Help Them?"

John Ransom:

"Robert1260 wrote: Bush had the worst jobs growth in US history and right wing talkers can not change that fact. It's historically carved in stone. Obama has produced more jobs in 3 years during the worst economy since the 1930's than Bush produced in a good economy (for his first 7 years in office that is...Bush's last year was a real doozy). Obama inherited a loss of 9 million jobs, loss of 37 Trillion in American wealth and 9 Trillion in debt practically overnight. Inherited from a so called conservative president. More facts carved in stone that Republicans can't simply brush aside by right wing liars like Ransom.- in response to New BS BLS Report Shows Obama Costs US $20 Trillion"

"Dear Comrade 1260,
Actually, Obama’s record is worse, net-on-net...."  (Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: Lubbock Online/Mr. Conservative "The Real Unemployment Rate is 19%"

"Thanks to how the data is fudged in Washington, the unemployment rate is touted to now be down to 8.3%.  Officially only 12.7 million are now unemployed.  As I have predicted, Obama will do anything possible to get the unemployment rate to 8.0% or below by the time of the General Election on Tuesday 06 November.

President Obama has been celebrating the 243,000 jobs created in January.  However, no mention has been made by Obama or the White House that 1.2 million people gave up looking for work in January. 

These 1.2 million people were removed from the group of persons who are reported to be unemployed, dropping the pretend unemployment number to 8.3%.

There has also been no mention that while Obama is bragging that he added 3.7 million new jobs, the reality of the situation is that 4.4 million jobs have simply disappeared from the United States of America since Obama became President.

A total of 4.7 million people have stopped looking for work since the Inauguration of President Obama. 

Added to the 12.7 million, the total of unemployed is 17.4 million without work or about 11%...."
(Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: Working Class Conservative/Mike Madden "How to Whack 1.2M Jobs"

Similar to 'Whack-A-Mole', a game played by politicians and media every day...

Mike Madden:

"You are running for election.  For the entire time you were in the position you currently hold the jobs market never got any better.  You kept claiming to have created jobs but the damn unemployment rate kept holding .  Then slowly at a rate that would take 15 years to return the nation to 5% unemployment the jobs started coming back at an agonizingly slow rate.  Quick, you have 10 months to convince everyone you are a good leader and deserve 4 more years, what do you do?

If you are the Obama Administration you have the Bureau of labor and Statistics adjust the way unemployment is gauged.  You do it by blaming 2010 Census data.  How?  Read the following...."
(Read the following?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: Right Scoop "Observations from the Sheriff’s stoop"

lol.

'SandBox Nanny' puts this one in the justice and crime section of today's posts.  Why, you ask?

Because she is reminded of the classic line mothers use the world over:

'Wait until your father gets home.'

BTW, 'kids'.  Anybody noticing how your comments that you continue to insist on sending to 'the mailbox' aren't getting posted up?  Could it be because 'SandBox Nanny' meant what she said a month or so ago?  That she just no longer has the time to daily pull everything out from that 'secretly hidden mailbox located in the secure server that's hidden somewhere northwest of DeBeque?"  And that you needed to start posting your comments directly?  Hmmmm....

Just wait until your father gets home.

'KenInMontana' :

"On the subject of posting, it is a Privilege not a Right. I am sure most here have seen posters whine how we as moderators are violating their 1st Amendment Rights, in response I will quote a favorite artist of mine, “Excuse me? First Amendment? Son, the first amendment protects you from the government, not from me. You can say whatever you want too out there, but if you come within reach of me, I’ll exercise my right to give you a good ol’ country @$$ whoopin’ is what I’ll do”. Yes, contrary to popular belief, we do have a sense of humor..."  (Be sure to click the title and read all of this wonderful post!)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: CNS News "Former DEA Chief: Hezbollah Eyeing Southwest Border, ‘Hell to Pay in the Not Too Distant Future’ "

(See related story here)

Penny Starr:

"CNSNews.com) – The Iranian-supported Shi’ite terrorist group Hezbollah has spread its influence all the way to the U.S. border with Mexico, a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on Iran’s influence in the Western Hemisphere heard on Thursday.

Michael Braun, a former chief of operations at the Drug Enforcement Agency, said Hezbollah had developed relationships with the powerful Mexican drug cartels to “move their agenda forward.” He cited a plot, recently uncovered by the DEA, involving an Iranian operative in Mexico allegedly planning to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, D.C.

“Hezbollah are absolute masters at forming close relationships with existing organized crime groups around the world that helps them facilitate what they need to do to move their agendas forward,” Braun told CNSNews.com following the hearing. “And if anyone thinks for a moment that they don’t have their eye on the southwest border and all of our country, then they couldn’t be more wrong.”

In his prepared remarks Braun, who also served as interim director of the Department of Justice’s Drug Intelligence Fusion Center, said Hezbollah and other terrorist groups understand that the Mexican cartels are already operating successfully inside the United States.

“If anyone thinks for one moment that these terrorist organizations do not understand that the Mexican drug trafficking cartels now dominate drug trafficking in our country – reportedly in more than 250 cities – than they are very stupid or very naive,” he said...."  (Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: Glenwood Springs Post Independent "Valley teen: Marijuana is ‘widely available'"

Any one else noticing all the new reporter and outside contributors over on the Glenwood Springs Post Independent?

So far, they're terrific!  Over the past few weeks they've been rolling out with strong reporting, fresh content and features.  If the PI isn't careful, they just might become more than the filler for packing boxes and the first fast scan of the day before one reaches for the Times and the Daily.

'SandBox Nanny' dedicates her roundup of this story to the City of Glenwood Springs attorney Jan Shute, Glenwood Springs City Councilman Leo McKinney and local Mary Rippy.

McKinney  for what can only be described, if you watch all he has ever said on MMJ, as his rabid pushing and bullying to bring and keep medical marijuana businesses and operations alive in Glenwood Springs.

Shute for her utter and complete failure to meet, what should be her first and foremost concern in all she does, the security and protection from legal liability of the citizenry.  After spending literally a few years working on drafting law, Shute's work does not even cover the protection of city employees handling MMJ issues let alone protect the folks from liability.

And finally, to local Mary Rippy.  For not only being right.  But for standing up. 


Rebecca Jones:

Editor's note: The following article is part of a collaborative effort by HealthPolicySolutions.org, Education News Colorado and I-News Network that focuses on medical marijuana dispensaries and the use of marijuana in schools. The article below addresses the impact in the Roaring Fork Valley. For complete coverage, visit http://www.healthpolicysolutions.org/.

"...CARBONDALE, Colorado — If a friend hadn't turned him over to cops in November, 15-year-old Charles would most likely still be dealing medical marijuana.

As it is, the Roaring Fork High School sophomore has just completed a stint in juvenile detention, is back in school and is eager to get his life back on track. He's hoping to join the military after high school, and he knows a drug conviction could scuttle those plans.

“...But the DA worked out a deal where as long as I don't get in trouble for the next six to eight months, I'll be fine,” he said. “I'll be allowed to go in the military.”

Much has changed for the one-time honor student, who agreed to be interviewed on the condition that his last name is not used.

A year ago, he'd never smoked pot. But then came the night of the party. Someone offered him a joint and, when he didn't know what to do with it, showed him. “I took a hit,” he said. “I felt the high. I wasn't in love with the feeling. But I liked it.”

A week later, the older brother of a friend made Charles an offer. “He told me ‘Hey, if you're willing to sell for me, I'll give you money,'” Charles said. “I go ‘All right.' So he'd go down to the dispensary once or twice a week and get his marijuana, then give it to me and I would distribute it.”

The brother, who is in his 40s, had sold marijuana for decades, he said, but began selling medical marijuana exclusively after obtaining a state-issued registry card for back pain.

“They're really easy to get them around here,” Charles said of the cards. “You can get them for headaches....”  (Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: Summit Daily News "Lichens: Nature's odd couple"

SandBox has been wondering where Dr. Joanne Stolen has been!  Always one of the best references for top-notch reporting and op-ed pieces on the environment; she's one of our fav's.

Dr. Joanne Stolen:

"Did the lichen kill the trees, or do they prefer dead or dying trees? Because they do seem to prefer trees or shrubs already beginning to die, the lichen is often unjustly blamed for adversely affecting the tree. In actuality, many lichens grow rapidly when exposed to full sunlight, and that is why they are a common occurrence on dead or dying trees. Their position on the trees gives them a secure location to anchor as well as access to sunlight in dark forests. When the tree whose canopy is failing eventually dies, the lichen's growth greatly increases because of the additional sunlight. This is why many dead or dying trees are often covered with lichens. Dying trees also often release a kind of sugar or sap, a lure for lichen — but lichens do not consume any part of the plant, nor do they poison it..."  (Read more?  Click title)

"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."

SandBox Comments: Summitt County Citizens Voice "Morning photo: Florida revisited"

All credit:  Bob Berwyn