March 21, 2012

SandBoxBlogs: Red State "The Nominee"

Big, big statement from Erick Erickson on Red State.

Not an endorsement but more of a disappointed acceptance?

Most likely and sure sounds like it.

But then again, we all know we really need Rick Perry and have been in that state of disappointed acceptance for months now.

Photo credit Red State:


SandBoxBlogs: Town Hall/Rachel Alexander "Should the GOP Hope For a Brokered Convention?"

Good column from Rachel Alexander, editor of the Intellectual Conservative and Town Hall contributor.

Without giving insight into my own personal feelings regarding a brokered convention; there is a very positive aspect that makes for a major plus to having one.

Mitt Romney alone cannot beat Barack Obama.  He's going to have to have a strong leader that people can trust to not back down as his backbone in the VP slot.  If he chooses someone like Santorum thinking it will pull votes, they both will lose.  The conservative base, Tea Party and GOP establishment really have not spoken up fully yet.  The common man and working class conservative does not believe strongly enough in either man to get excited over them.

And to beat the major money Obama has and the sureness of even the millions of liberals out there that are not all that keen on Obama;  conservatives need to be fired up.

The big plus to having a brokered convention is to bring in someone who can bolster up Newt.  He is the only candidate still standing that has the strength of leadership and political skill to win.  He also has nothing to lose over the next four years because there are simply no more skeletons for media fodder.  His age and his past are actually now assets for Newt Gingrich.  The thing about Newt is that he inspires confidence with his courage to lead.

America doesn't need just one hero right now.  We need two.  This GOP primary has uncovered so many weaknesses in the political leadership of conservative elections that we are already 'brokered'.  Now we need to be pulled together.

Will Romney try somebody like Jeb Bush?  Maybe.  If so, the machine on the left will still leave them both behind.  Bush the third doesn't have the fearless kind of leadership that Gingrich, Perry, Christie have.  Wonderful person, great man and a terrific leader.  But certainly not the working conservative type that we're looking for out here.

No matter where it goes, the one certainty is that this will eventually be seen as one of the most historically famous GOP primary seasons.

Rachel Alexander:
"As the Republican presidential primary drags on, 27 debates later, with no candidate yet obtaining 50% of the delegates, speculation is increasing that the nominee may end up being selected in a brokered convention. If none of the candidates win a minimum of 1,144 delegates in the primaries and caucuses, then the Republican convention becomes a brokered convention where the nominee is chosen by freewheeling delegates. Delegates would be permitted to change their votes at the convention and support anyone, even new candidates. Ballot contests are held until one candidate achieves a majority of delegate votes.

The three candidates left in the race besides Mitt Romney are hoping for a brokered convention since it is practically impossible now for them to get enough delegates. Rick Santorum, in second place after Romney, needs 70% of the remaining delegates to win. As frontrunner, Romney opposes a brokered convention, needing only half of the remaining delegates to win the nomination.

There are plenty of problems with a brokered convention. It leaves Republican candidates taking jabs at each other instead of Obama for a much longer period, spending most of their money in the primary instead of against Obama. The convention begins August 27. The last primary this year is Utah’s on June 26. By the end of August, there will be only a couple of months left for the race against Obama. Republican candidates have been taking shots at each other since the beginning of last summer and a brokered convention means that infighting drags out for well over a year. Hugh Hewitt observed that a new candidate who has not participated in the primary yet may find it difficult to get into the national fundraising game this late against Obama.

The most troubling part about a brokered convention is it leaves the nominating process to be decided by backroom dealing. Instead of a mostly democratic process of electing the nominee, the nominee would be chosen by political hacks...." (Read more?  Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: Coloradoan "Pedal-powered paramedics train for deployment"

Robert Allen:
"The sound of ringing bicycle bells will increasingly replace ambulance sirens during Fort Collins events this summer as Poudre Valley EMS gears up its Bicycle Emergency Response Team.

A fleet of mountain bikes is equipped with the same supplies ambulances use in the first few minutes of an incident, from bandages to auto-defibrillators. And bikes are able to go places the large ambulance trucks can’t reach.


Poudre Valley EMS started using bikes for reserves in 1994, but the team, known by its acronym, BERT, didn’t form or begin regular event patrols until last year. Rob Collett, lead BERT paramedic, said because Fort Collins is rated one of the top bicycle-friendly communities in the United States, managers decided the team could better serve the community on bikes...." (Read more?  Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Defendant denied bond in federal cocaine case"

Chad Abraham:
"An exotic lifestyle involving alleged offshore bank accounts and disposable cell phones makes a former Aspen man suspected in a local cocaine-trafficking ring a flight risk, a judge ruled Tuesday.

In denying bond for Montgomery Chitty, 60, of Big Pine Key, Fla., U.S. Magistrate Judge Kristen Mix wrote that the defendant has a valid passport, allegedly has offshore bank accounts in the Cayman Islands and “has traveled out of the country on 13 occasions” since 1999.

Chitty was arrested Feb. 15 in Florida in connection with an investigation into an Aspen-area distribution ring. He pleaded not guilty Monday to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine......

.....But Mix, in her ruling, wrote that she was not assured that Chitty would appear for court hearings or that the safety of the community could be protected if he was released on bond.

Chitty has used at least one alias and has a felony conviction for importing marijuana, the ruling says. Mix also noted Chitty’s age and that he is facing, if convicted, a possible maximum life sentence.

In addition to “a history of moving from place to place,” Chitty “has repeatedly used false addresses ... has no known bank accounts in the United States, no credit cards, reports only $1,000 per month income from his daughter [and] uses only cash and disposable cell phones,” the ruling says.

Chitty also lied both about his identity and being a former law enforcement officer to his landlord in Florida, and has no stable employment, Mix found, citing evidence provided by the government.

Despite the letters of support, Chitty, who faces 10 years to life if convicted, did not contest his continued detention, Mix wrote....."  (Read more?  Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: Colorado Statesman "Candidates for DA plead their cases"

There are a number of hot races for district attorney in the 2012 election cycle.  Whether contested races or not, it has been quite awhile since there has been this much controversy in Colorado's judicial system.

From Sheriff races at mid-term (statewide), to prison closures and now the politics of prosecutors; the folks are far from happy if the pulse and tone of commentary is any barometer.

The 10th Judicial District is so far the nastiest and most sordid of DA races this time around.  Coming up right behind the 10th is the 18th Judicial District. 

From the sound of things, more of relief than anything else as the highly controversial Carol Chambers is out due to term limits.  Chambers is the DA that made national news recognition by paying her deputy DA's bonuses for convictions.  Rather fitting now that the contenders for the 18th plead their cases to the Statesman at the Arapahoe GOP Men's Club...

Ben Conarck:
"What best qualifies a candidate to run for district attorney in the 18th Judicial District?

At a breakfast debate held at the Arapahoe County Republican Men’s Club in Greenwood Village early Wednesday morning, the four GOP candidates pled their cases.

Matt Arnold, a judicial accountability activist and candidate in the CU Regent At-Large race, moderated the debate. He will not be endorsing a candidate in the primary.

All four Republican candidates plan to go through the assembly to earn the party’s nomination, but both Brauchler and Wareham have begun petitioning as a backstop measure in case they fail to receive the 30 percent threshold for delegates.

The district attorney for the 18th Judicial District oversees Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln counties.

The seat has been held since 2005 by term-limited Republican incumbent Carol Chambers.

The race has attracted well-qualified candidates on both sides of the aisle. Ethan Feldman, who served as a judge in Arapahoe County for over 20 years, is the only Democrat currently in the race....."
(Read more?  Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: KREX News 5 "Murder Suspects Charged in Court"

Daniel Phillips:
"GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.- The two brothers suspected of murdering a Fruita man were formally charged in court Tuesday morning.

Julio and Jose Ortiz appeared in front of a judge and both were charged with one count of first-degree murder.

The two are suspected of murdering Abel Roper, 31, who was found stabbed to death next to his truck in Clifton.

Investigators aren't releasing much information on the crime due to the sensitive nature of the investigation...."
(Read more?  Click title.  Comment ability on this post is blocked on behalf of Abel Roper's family)

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

SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Times "DA won't charge driver in death of pedestrian near Aspen"

Rick Carroll:
"Chief Deputy District Attorney Arnold Mordkin said the decision was made Friday after a districtwide meeting with prosecutors from Garfield, Pitkin and Rio Blanco counties. Mordkin, whose Pitkin County office would have filed the charges, said he did not want to make the decision public until Tuesday. The prosecutor said he notified the mother of victim Joanie Marie Kocab about the decision Monday evening.

“The public should feel comfortable in the fact that one person didn't make this decision, but it was a group decision,” Mordkin said...."  (Read more?  Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: Customs and Border Protection "Border Patrol Seizes More Than One Ton of Marijuana"

"Tucson, Ariz. – Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents seized approximately 2,155 pounds of marijuana worth just over $1 million over the weekend.
 
Yesterday morning, Casa Grande Station agents utilizing imaging technology notified ground agents of 10 possible narcotics smugglers near the international boundary. Agents responded to the area, seized 14 bundles of marijuana and apprehended two subjects. The narcotics and the subjects were transported back to the station for processing. The narcotics weighed 740 pounds with an estimated value of $370,000. The subjects may face federal charges and the narcotics will be turned over to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
 
Willcox Station agents working at the State Route 90 checkpoint referred a vehicle for secondary inspection on Saturday after a canine team alert. Agents discovered three bundles of marijuana concealed in the gas tank after utilizing imaging technology. The driver, a U.S. citizen was placed under arrest and transported along with the narcotics to the station for processing. The narcotics, weighing 18 pounds with a value of $9,000, will be turned over to the DEA. The driver may face federal charges.
 
In a separate incident Saturday, Willcox agents conducted a vehicle stop on a pickup truck and discovered 13 bundles of marijuana in the bed of the truck. The driver, a U.S. citizen was arrested and transported along with the narcotics for processing. The total weight of the narcotics was 212 pounds worth an estimated $106,000. The driver may face possible federal charges and the narcotics will be turned over to the DEA.
 
Ajo Station agents working on the ATV unit located 15 bundles of marijuana abandoned in the desert on Friday. The narcotics weighed 728 pounds worth an estimated value of $364,000. A few hours earlier, during a separate incident, Ajo agents utilizing imaging technology notified additional agents of possible narcotics smuggling near the international boundary. Agents responded and seized nine bundles of marijuana and apprehended four subjects. All narcotics and subjects were transported to the station for processing.
 
The narcotics weighed 457 pounds worth an estimated value of $228,500.
 
The Tucson Sector employs targeted enforcement efforts to deny and dismantle transnational criminal organizations. As a result of the Border Patrol’s enforcement efforts, criminal organizations are becoming increasingly desperate to get their narcotics into the interior of the United States.
 
Customs and Border Protection welcomes assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling (877) 872-7435 toll free.
 
All CBP assets in Arizona were realigned under a unified command structure in February 2011. Joint Field Command – Arizona unifies the Tucson and Yuma Border Patrol Sectors and Air Branches, as well as the Tucson Field Office, to enhance border security, commercial enforcement and trade facilitation missions to meet Arizona’s unique challenges. Follow us on Twitter @CBPArizona or visit the attached website for more information. ( Arizona )
 
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws. "

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

SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News/Letter to the Editor "Little guy gets burned again"

There was a time when Bruno Kirchenwitz had just a little, teeny bit of difficulty controlling his temper in local commentary.  Which made for a fracas or two between regional avatars and Bruno.

Since the shutting down of the infamous PI hub; Bruno has risen to the (sincerely) status of local hero in commentary when it comes to the topics of illegal foreign nationals or public education.

Here's to the little guy.

Let Freedom ring.

Bruno Kirchenwitz:
"Editor:

One school board begs for more taxpayer funds for the children, gets the extra funds for the children and promptly takes $1.4 million off the top for teacher bonuses. While every teacher gets $1,500 many non-teachers lose their jobs.

Another school board doesn’t fool the electorate and doesn’t get to hand out any bonuses.  Instead, they go to a four-day school week and save a half million at the expense of some 200 non-teaching staff. While no teacher loses a penny of pay, the cooks and janitors will each lose over $2,000 in pay annually.

Ain’t it funny how it’s always the little guy who takes it in the shorts?

I think it stinks...."  (Read more?  Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: Summit County Citizens Voice "Report: Zooplankton in the Gulf of Mexico soaked by toxic compounds from Deepwater Horizon spill"

Bob Berwyn:
"SUMMIT COUNTY — Oil from BP’s failed Deepwater Horizon drilling contaminated the Gulf of Mexico‘s marine food chain from the bottom up, according to a new study showing that the oil was absorbed by tiny zooplankton.

Zooplankton are useful to track oil-derived pollution. They serve as food for baby fish and shrimp and act as conduits for the movement of oil contamination and pollutants into the food chain. The study confirms that, not only did oil affect the ecosystem in the Gulf during the blowout, but  was still entering the food web long after the well was capped.

“Our research helped to determine a ‘fingerprint’ of the Deepwater Horizon spill—something that other researchers interested the spill may be able to use,” said Dr. Siddhartha Mitra of Eastern Carolina University. “Furthermore, our work demonstrated that zooplankton in the Northern Gulf of Mexico accumulated toxic compounds derived from the Macondo well.” he said.

After the April 20, 2010 explosion on the drilling rig, crude oil gushed into the water at a rate of at least 53,000 barrels per day before the well was capped on July 15.

Oil  is a complex mixture of hydrocarbons and other chemicals. It contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can be used to fingerprint oil and determine its origins. The researchers were able to identify the signature unique to the Deep Water Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico.

The team’s research indicates that the fingerprint of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill could be found in some zooplankton in the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem at low levels as much as a month after the leaking wellhead was capped..."  (Read more?  Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: RealAspen "On the Colorado River with Roaring Fork Anglers"

Tom Boyd:
"NEW CASTLE — A blue-winged olive buzzed close to the water, rode the breeze along the bank, and perched like a trained pet on the thumb of veteran angler John Harcourt.

Harcourt watched it fly away, then called out to his son, Dustin, and his seven-year-old grandson, Drake, who were working an eddy seam just downriver.

“We might do some dry-fly fishing after all,” he said with the kind of smile that has spring fever written all over it.

The terms “dry fly” and “March fishing” aren’t often mixed together in discussions of Colorado’s rivers and streams, but along the wide-open, easily accessible stretches of the Colorado River from Glenwood Springs to Rifle, a sunny March afternoon feels like a mid-summer’s day to a fisherman, especially if he’s got a healthy dose of cabin fever...."  (Read more?  Click title)

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

SandBoxBlogs: Summit County Citizens Voice "Morning photo: Fishing!"

Do you know what a beaver pond is?  'SandBox Nanny' has shared with you that she was childhood raised way up at the top of Kebler Pass.

There simply is no place on earth more beautiful than the remote areas of Kebler. 

Flanked on one side by the Town of Crested Butte, she can remember the Gorsuch family  when they barely had an inkling of an idea for business, Crested Butte Mountain having one rope tow and the Warming House.  The 'parade' of our NASA astronauts on main street and meeting Gus Grissom.

On the other side of the pass she can recall Paonia before there was ever a single winery.  Things called subdivisions unheard of and Cherry Days at the park not being all that open to tourism crowds.

Beaver ponds are eco-systems all their own.  Back in the 1960's some of them were even stocked by Fish and Game.  Click on the links throughout her commentary on beaver ponds that are unique to Kebler Pass but know that when you do...you are still not being given insight into the 'secret' ones she knows about.

You see, true fisherman rarely divulge to the public where the best fishing really is.

Be sure to read up on Bob Berwyn's piece this morning as you take a look at some of the ponds he and his family frequent. (Congratulations on that whopper of a fish goes out to Dylan Berwyn).

Click title.  All credit:  Bob Berwyn