Dave Montgomery:
"AUSTIN -- Public relations mastermind Julian Read has spent more than 60 years thinking up ways to get positive news coverage for his clients. But sometimes the headlines just seem to fall in his lap.
In the 1980s, he was representing Siegfried and Roy when clueless thieves stole a parked truck in downtown New York City, evidently unaware that the vehicle contained the entertainers' two Siberian tigers.
The truck disappeared when the driver went for a cup of coffee just before the tigers' scheduled appearance on the CBS Morning Show. The animals were found unharmed in the abandoned truck after a five-hour search that threw midtown Manhattan into a tizzy and created far more publicity than Read had been expecting from the brief TV shoot.
"There'll never be another day like that," lamented the Fort Worth-born PR executive, recalling the tiger heist over a recent breakfast at Cisco's Restaurant Bakery and Bar, a popular gathering point for politicos..."
Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/03/18/3817566/pr-legend-looks-back-at-a-storied.html#storylink=cpy
March 18, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Craig Daily Press "Journey of the heart: Tour through Israel leaves Craig pastor with ‘great hope’ "
Bridget Manley:
"But if you know the Bible like Len Browning does, you know the significance of this place.
It’s a reminder of the Jewish temple destroyed nearly two millennia ago. The temple housed the Holy of Holies, which is believed to be the place where God himself dwelled.
Seeing the Wailing Wall touched Len in a way he didn’t expect.
“There was a profound, overwhelming sense of God in that place,” said Len, lead pastor at The Journey at First Baptist in Craig. “It was indescribable. … It was significantly more than I had anticipated.”
He was among 15 other pastors and their wives who embarked on a weeklong sojourn in Israel in early February. The tour was designed to familiarize them with the Holy Land, yet what Len took away from the journey cannot be summarized in any itinerary.
He was more than a tourist. He was a pilgrim, walking amid the ruins where his faith was born.
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” — Genesis 6:5
Before Len embarked on the tour, he spent a few days in New York City, intending to just poke around like tourists do.
Instead, he found himself confronted with reminders of the worst in human nature.
He saw Ground Zero, a gaping void in the city skyline marking a scene of carnage and loss during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
He saw Ellis Island and thought of the cruelty and indifference that made up the darker side of the Americans experience.
He was “overwhelmed with the sense of the depravity of man,” he said. “… It was just an overwhelming sense of what we’re capable of as human beings.”....." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"But if you know the Bible like Len Browning does, you know the significance of this place.
It’s a reminder of the Jewish temple destroyed nearly two millennia ago. The temple housed the Holy of Holies, which is believed to be the place where God himself dwelled.
Seeing the Wailing Wall touched Len in a way he didn’t expect.
“There was a profound, overwhelming sense of God in that place,” said Len, lead pastor at The Journey at First Baptist in Craig. “It was indescribable. … It was significantly more than I had anticipated.”
He was among 15 other pastors and their wives who embarked on a weeklong sojourn in Israel in early February. The tour was designed to familiarize them with the Holy Land, yet what Len took away from the journey cannot be summarized in any itinerary.
He was more than a tourist. He was a pilgrim, walking amid the ruins where his faith was born.
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” — Genesis 6:5
Before Len embarked on the tour, he spent a few days in New York City, intending to just poke around like tourists do.
Instead, he found himself confronted with reminders of the worst in human nature.
He saw Ground Zero, a gaping void in the city skyline marking a scene of carnage and loss during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
He saw Ellis Island and thought of the cruelty and indifference that made up the darker side of the Americans experience.
He was “overwhelmed with the sense of the depravity of man,” he said. “… It was just an overwhelming sense of what we’re capable of as human beings.”....." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 16, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel "Police investigate garbage bag of pot dumped at park"
For various reasons, one or two of them unwarranted and totally unrealistic, and the others likely because we put out great content and believe in showing gratitude and appreciation for our law enforcement and military officers and agents; SandBox Commentators is followed by quite a few cops.
How can we tell? It's their keyword searches. Who else googles full name, DOB, height, weight, last known vicinity and specific charges? Our full list of Twitter followers and feed subscribers is quite revealing as well. Then again, it might not be our tantalizing content and may simply be our avatars who insist on "droppin dimes on the dope man" (Jeremy Madden) with all their anonymous tipster activity.
On this day before St. Paddy's day and the likelihood of a long weekend ahead of them, 'SandBox Nanny' is going to toss up a couple of posts that might give regional cops a laugh. 'Stranger than Fiction' and Roland Sweet's 'Curses, Foiled Again' is always a great one for drawing page views and it's coming up next.
What caught her eye (lol) in this post is the second line.
Enjoy St. Patrick's Day, everyone. And remember to have fun while at the same time give a cop a break and stay safe out there.
AP via Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Breaking News:
DENVER — Denver police are trying to determine why someone dumped a garbage bag full of marijuana in a Denver park.
Police arrested five people after the marijuana was passed out free to park visitors...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
How can we tell? It's their keyword searches. Who else googles full name, DOB, height, weight, last known vicinity and specific charges? Our full list of Twitter followers and feed subscribers is quite revealing as well. Then again, it might not be our tantalizing content and may simply be our avatars who insist on "droppin dimes on the dope man" (Jeremy Madden) with all their anonymous tipster activity.
On this day before St. Paddy's day and the likelihood of a long weekend ahead of them, 'SandBox Nanny' is going to toss up a couple of posts that might give regional cops a laugh. 'Stranger than Fiction' and Roland Sweet's 'Curses, Foiled Again' is always a great one for drawing page views and it's coming up next.
What caught her eye (lol) in this post is the second line.
Enjoy St. Patrick's Day, everyone. And remember to have fun while at the same time give a cop a break and stay safe out there.
AP via Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Breaking News:
DENVER — Denver police are trying to determine why someone dumped a garbage bag full of marijuana in a Denver park.
Police arrested five people after the marijuana was passed out free to park visitors...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 15, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Hot Air Blog "Mark Levin: I will donate $50,000 to Obama if he will debate me for one hour"
Tina Korbe:
"On his radio show yesterday, Mark Levin echoed Sarah Palin’s invitation to Barack Obama to debate “the real issues.” He spiced up his request with an unexpected incentive, though. The talker promised to donate $50,000 to Obama’s campaign if Obama accepts his challenge.
“I see my friend Sarah Palin has challenged Obama to a debate, because now he’s running ads against her,” Levin said. “Come on. I’ll tell you what — I will give, are you ready for this Mr. Producer? I will give $50,000 to Obama’s Super PAC if he will debate me for one hour.”
Since Obama has been traveling the country in search of smaller donations, Levin asked, why not take him up on his bigger offer?
“Now he’s flying all over the country in exchange for meals and handshakes and photos,” Levin said. “People are giving a lot less than that. Just one hour, a debate. It doesn’t even have to be televised. In fact, we’ll do it right here on this program. [It would] be very professional, be very fair, equal time, just a debate.”
Would that this would come to pass — but Obama not only hasn’t accepted invitations to debate from Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, he hasn’t even acknowledged them. It’s likely that Mark Levin’s invitation will meet the same fate. Obama doesn’t exactly need the $50,000, either. Sure, his fundraising has been down somewhat recently and, in the cash-collecting game, his Super PAC trails the Super PACs of the GOP candidates (although its fundraising is up 40 percent from last month, in large part because Obama gave the green light to donors to give to it), but, as of January 1, the Obama campaign still listed 444 individuals who had bundled at least $50,000 for his campaign. If he solicits $1 and $5 donations — or uses March Madness to try to increase interest in his campaign, it’s not really because he needs the cash. It’s just because he knows that a potential voter with skin in the game is more likely to go to the polls than a potential voter who has donated nothing...." (click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"On his radio show yesterday, Mark Levin echoed Sarah Palin’s invitation to Barack Obama to debate “the real issues.” He spiced up his request with an unexpected incentive, though. The talker promised to donate $50,000 to Obama’s campaign if Obama accepts his challenge.
“I see my friend Sarah Palin has challenged Obama to a debate, because now he’s running ads against her,” Levin said. “Come on. I’ll tell you what — I will give, are you ready for this Mr. Producer? I will give $50,000 to Obama’s Super PAC if he will debate me for one hour.”
Since Obama has been traveling the country in search of smaller donations, Levin asked, why not take him up on his bigger offer?
“Now he’s flying all over the country in exchange for meals and handshakes and photos,” Levin said. “People are giving a lot less than that. Just one hour, a debate. It doesn’t even have to be televised. In fact, we’ll do it right here on this program. [It would] be very professional, be very fair, equal time, just a debate.”
Would that this would come to pass — but Obama not only hasn’t accepted invitations to debate from Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, he hasn’t even acknowledged them. It’s likely that Mark Levin’s invitation will meet the same fate. Obama doesn’t exactly need the $50,000, either. Sure, his fundraising has been down somewhat recently and, in the cash-collecting game, his Super PAC trails the Super PACs of the GOP candidates (although its fundraising is up 40 percent from last month, in large part because Obama gave the green light to donors to give to it), but, as of January 1, the Obama campaign still listed 444 individuals who had bundled at least $50,000 for his campaign. If he solicits $1 and $5 donations — or uses March Madness to try to increase interest in his campaign, it’s not really because he needs the cash. It’s just because he knows that a potential voter with skin in the game is more likely to go to the polls than a potential voter who has donated nothing...." (click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: LA Times "Swing voters: Diverse, misunderstood and crucial in 2012"
David Lauter, Washington Bureau:
"Over the next eight months, presidential campaigns will spend hundreds of millions of dollars to penetrate the suburban living rooms of people like 33-year-old Sarah Hays.
"I agree with certain parts of the philosophies of both parties," Hays said in a recent interview as two of her three children — ages 6, 4 and 21 months — played within reach at their St. Louis-area home. "I'm a Catholic, and I'm pro-life, and that's very important to me," she said, "but I don't believe that pro-life means only antiabortion.
"I think we should be fiscally conservative, and yet I think we should take care of people."
Hays is that rarest of people in a closely divided and sharply polarized country — a swing voter — dissatisfied with both parties, crucial to either one's hope of success.
Over the last few months, as the Republican primary battle has focused on the most conservative parts of the party's core, several polls have shown President Obama making headway with self-described independents like Hays. As a result, the percentage of voters expressing approval of his performance in office has slowly risen in most recent surveys...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Over the next eight months, presidential campaigns will spend hundreds of millions of dollars to penetrate the suburban living rooms of people like 33-year-old Sarah Hays.
"I agree with certain parts of the philosophies of both parties," Hays said in a recent interview as two of her three children — ages 6, 4 and 21 months — played within reach at their St. Louis-area home. "I'm a Catholic, and I'm pro-life, and that's very important to me," she said, "but I don't believe that pro-life means only antiabortion.
"I think we should be fiscally conservative, and yet I think we should take care of people."
Hays is that rarest of people in a closely divided and sharply polarized country — a swing voter — dissatisfied with both parties, crucial to either one's hope of success.
Over the last few months, as the Republican primary battle has focused on the most conservative parts of the party's core, several polls have shown President Obama making headway with self-described independents like Hays. As a result, the percentage of voters expressing approval of his performance in office has slowly risen in most recent surveys...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Intellectual Conservative "Book Review: James Rickards 'Currency Wars' "
Ralph Benko:
"In virtually every airport bookstore in America right now you will find a little sleeper of a book in the business section which is as riveting as a thriller and as hard to put down. James Rickards Currency Wars made this reader remember what Secretary of the Navy John Lehman so vividly told Tom Clancy after reading his multi-million-seller Hunt for Red October: “Who the hell cleared this?”
At the end of the Cold, and Middle East, wars, we have entered a perilous new world. Currency Wars is as relevant as tomorrow’s headlines. No sleepy tome on monetary policy, Currency Wars is a white-knuckle exercise. It begins three years ago with a war game carried out by the Pentagon in a secret facility just outside of Washington DC.
“The Applied Physics Laboratory, located on four hundred acres of former farmland about halfway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., is one of the crown jewels of America’s system of top secret, high-tech applied physics and weapons research facilities..." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"In virtually every airport bookstore in America right now you will find a little sleeper of a book in the business section which is as riveting as a thriller and as hard to put down. James Rickards Currency Wars made this reader remember what Secretary of the Navy John Lehman so vividly told Tom Clancy after reading his multi-million-seller Hunt for Red October: “Who the hell cleared this?”
At the end of the Cold, and Middle East, wars, we have entered a perilous new world. Currency Wars is as relevant as tomorrow’s headlines. No sleepy tome on monetary policy, Currency Wars is a white-knuckle exercise. It begins three years ago with a war game carried out by the Pentagon in a secret facility just outside of Washington DC.
“The Applied Physics Laboratory, located on four hundred acres of former farmland about halfway between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., is one of the crown jewels of America’s system of top secret, high-tech applied physics and weapons research facilities..." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Times "Melanie Sturm - What if Iran means it?"
Melanie Sturm:
"With options dwindling to curtail Iran and time running out, there are no good remedies. Nevertheless, we have overwhelming bipartisan agreement in both the House and the Senate that it is a vital U.S. interest to prevent Iran from becoming nuclear-capable — a threshold far closer than possession of such weapons and one Iran has nearly crossed.
Unfortunately, differing timetables are a source of tension between America and Israel. Because the U.S. Air Force is comparatively better equipped — with an advanced fleet of aircraft and bunker busting bombs — its capability and moment of decision is beyond Israel's. However, given election-year politics and the likelihood a military strike would cause further escalation in already high oil prices, it's hard for Israel to trust that America will act in time.
While the prospect of $10-per-gallon gasoline might be a price too high for American politicians to stomach, it's a tradeoff Israel will accept to prevent a second Holocaust. “As Prime Minister of Israel,” Benjamin Netanyahu said last week, “I will never let my people live in the shadow of annihilation.”
So when Israel strikes Iran's nuclear facilities, as it struck Iraq's in 1981 and Syria's in 2007, Think Again before complaining of temporarily high gas prices. Not only will Israel have saved America and the world from the specter of a nuclear-capable Iran, it will give the Iranian people their best chance since 2009 of overthrowing their tyrannical oppressors...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"With options dwindling to curtail Iran and time running out, there are no good remedies. Nevertheless, we have overwhelming bipartisan agreement in both the House and the Senate that it is a vital U.S. interest to prevent Iran from becoming nuclear-capable — a threshold far closer than possession of such weapons and one Iran has nearly crossed.
Unfortunately, differing timetables are a source of tension between America and Israel. Because the U.S. Air Force is comparatively better equipped — with an advanced fleet of aircraft and bunker busting bombs — its capability and moment of decision is beyond Israel's. However, given election-year politics and the likelihood a military strike would cause further escalation in already high oil prices, it's hard for Israel to trust that America will act in time.
While the prospect of $10-per-gallon gasoline might be a price too high for American politicians to stomach, it's a tradeoff Israel will accept to prevent a second Holocaust. “As Prime Minister of Israel,” Benjamin Netanyahu said last week, “I will never let my people live in the shadow of annihilation.”
So when Israel strikes Iran's nuclear facilities, as it struck Iraq's in 1981 and Syria's in 2007, Think Again before complaining of temporarily high gas prices. Not only will Israel have saved America and the world from the specter of a nuclear-capable Iran, it will give the Iranian people their best chance since 2009 of overthrowing their tyrannical oppressors...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Right Scoop "Netanyahu: Israel will protect itself even if America objects"
Scoop:
"Sounds like Netanyahu is making the case for military action against Iran and is prepared to give Obama the finger should he object:
"Sounds like Netanyahu is making the case for military action against Iran and is prepared to give Obama the finger should he object:
JERUSALEM POST – Saying publicly in the Knesset what he only said privately to Congressional leaders in Washington last week, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Wednesday stressed Israel would act to defend itself even if the US objected.
“Israel has never left its fate in the hands of others, not even in the hands of our best friends,” he said in a speech that focused on the Iranian threat and drew a direct line from Tehran to the events earlier this week in Gaza. He also blamed the 2005 disengagement from the Gaza Strip for leading to Iran’s establishment of a “forward” terrorist base there.
Netanyahu cited legendary US Secretary of State George Marshall as telling David Ben-Gurion in 1948 not to declare a state, and reminded the Knesset that US President Lyndon Johnson not only advised Israel against preemptive military action in 1967, but warned that “if you act alone, you will be alone.” Likewise, he said Prime Minister Menachem Begin knew when he decided to attack the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981 that he was going against US wishes and would come under sharp international criticism. “But he fulfilled his obligation and acted,” said Netanyahu, possibly preparing the public for the prospect of Israeli military action even over US objections.
Netanyahu said that a nuclear Iran would pose an “existential threat” to Israel, and that while he preferred if Iran would voluntarily abandon its nuclear ambitions, he had an “obligation” to retain Israel’s “independent ability” to defend itself...." (Read more? Click title)"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: KREX News 5 "Suspected Animal Abuse Continues in Delta County"
Danielle Kreutter:
"Hotchkiss- Many community members in Delta County are still concerned with the treatment of livestock at a certain property on the Redlands Mesa.
Officials say the situation that NewsChannel 5 first reported on in February, has gotten a little worse. Recently another horse has died on the property on 2900 Road. Neighbors tell NewsChannel 5 that they are frustrated at the extent local law enforcement has been involved.
"I had to continue to call them several times a week in order to get them to come back up," said concerned neighbor and wildlife specialist Kristin Dahlstrom.
When NewsChannel 5 investigated the conditions after authorities visited, we found empty feed bins and cows up to their ankles in feces. It prompted Delta County officials to take another look.
"They've progressively gotten a little worse than what they were in the beginning of the situation," said Undersheriff Mark Taylor with the Delta County Sheriff's Office...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Hotchkiss- Many community members in Delta County are still concerned with the treatment of livestock at a certain property on the Redlands Mesa.
Officials say the situation that NewsChannel 5 first reported on in February, has gotten a little worse. Recently another horse has died on the property on 2900 Road. Neighbors tell NewsChannel 5 that they are frustrated at the extent local law enforcement has been involved.
"I had to continue to call them several times a week in order to get them to come back up," said concerned neighbor and wildlife specialist Kristin Dahlstrom.
When NewsChannel 5 investigated the conditions after authorities visited, we found empty feed bins and cows up to their ankles in feces. It prompted Delta County officials to take another look.
"They've progressively gotten a little worse than what they were in the beginning of the situation," said Undersheriff Mark Taylor with the Delta County Sheriff's Office...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Steamboat Today "Charges filed in Steamboat heroin case"
Thank you to all the officers, agents and agencies who participated in this major narcotics bust in Steamboat Springs.
You are appreciated.
Stay the course.
Matt Stensland:
"Steamboat Springs — The Routt County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday filed 22 felony charges against four Steamboat Springs men arrested Friday night following a weekslong undercover investigation by the All Crimes Enforcement Team drug task force.
The four men suspected of possessing or selling heroin appeared in custody Wednesday before Routt County Judge James Garrecht. Court documents related to their arrests have been sealed because of an ongoing investigation...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
You are appreciated.
Stay the course.
Matt Stensland:
"Steamboat Springs — The Routt County District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday filed 22 felony charges against four Steamboat Springs men arrested Friday night following a weekslong undercover investigation by the All Crimes Enforcement Team drug task force.
The four men suspected of possessing or selling heroin appeared in custody Wednesday before Routt County Judge James Garrecht. Court documents related to their arrests have been sealed because of an ongoing investigation...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Customs and Border Protection " Nogales Bust Nets Meth, Heroin Worth $431k"
That's an unsettling thought, isn't it?
Nogales, Ariz. — Customs and Border Protection officers assigned to the Tucson Field Office made two separate drug seizures Monday, resulting in more than 23 pounds of methamphetamine and five pounds of heroin being seized; a combined value of nearly $431,000.
Officers at the Mariposa Port referred a 21-year-old Nogales woman for a secondary inspection of her Ford sedan when she attempted to enter the United States. After a CBP narcotics detection canine alerted to the presence of drugs, officers located 23 packages of methamphetamine in the dashboard
Officers at the Morley Pedestrian crossing referred a 32-year-old Mexican woman for additional questioning when she attempted to enter the United States. When an officer inspected her belongings, four packages of heroin were found in her purse.
In both cases, property and drugs were seized. Both subjects were arrested and turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Individuals arrested may be charged by complaint, the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity, which raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
CBP's Office of Field Operations is the primary organization within Homeland Security tasked with an anti-terrorism mission at our nation’s ports. CBP officers screen all people, vehicles and goods entering the United States while facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. Their mission also includes carrying out border-related duties, including narcotics interdiction, enforcing immigration and trade laws, and protecting the nation's food supply and agriculture industry from pests and diseases.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws."
SandBoxBlogs: Summit County Citizens Voice "Breckenridge Ski Area extends season"
Summit Voice:
"SUMMIT COUNTY— For the first time since merging with Vail Resorts, Breckenridge Ski Area will extend the season in response to a flood of requests from loyal skiers.
The area’s high-altitude should ensure good conditions through late April. Breckenridge often stayed open into early May back in the 1980s, when old-timers can remember celebrating Cinco de Mayo with late-season turns on Peak 8.
The two-weekend bonus season will include only Peak 8 terrain, including the Imperial Express SuperChair, for two additional weekends, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 20-22 and April 27-29, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day. In addition, the resort will have a special 50th season extension day ticket price of $50 for those without passes and free parking in the gondola lots.
“We had one wish left to grant, and asked our guests and fans via our social media channels what they wanted us to grant for our final 50th wish,” said Breckenridge senior vice president and chief operating officer Pat Campbell, referring to the season-long 50-wishes marketing campaign that was held during the resort’s golden jubilee season.
“We heard loud and clear from many fans like Lisa Doane and Jason Brooke that they’d love to see us wrap up this season- long promotion in the best way possible … by extending the season...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"SUMMIT COUNTY— For the first time since merging with Vail Resorts, Breckenridge Ski Area will extend the season in response to a flood of requests from loyal skiers.
The area’s high-altitude should ensure good conditions through late April. Breckenridge often stayed open into early May back in the 1980s, when old-timers can remember celebrating Cinco de Mayo with late-season turns on Peak 8.
The two-weekend bonus season will include only Peak 8 terrain, including the Imperial Express SuperChair, for two additional weekends, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 20-22 and April 27-29, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. each day. In addition, the resort will have a special 50th season extension day ticket price of $50 for those without passes and free parking in the gondola lots.
“We had one wish left to grant, and asked our guests and fans via our social media channels what they wanted us to grant for our final 50th wish,” said Breckenridge senior vice president and chief operating officer Pat Campbell, referring to the season-long 50-wishes marketing campaign that was held during the resort’s golden jubilee season.
“We heard loud and clear from many fans like Lisa Doane and Jason Brooke that they’d love to see us wrap up this season- long promotion in the best way possible … by extending the season...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 14, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "State PUC bills Sullivan for investigation travel costs"
Hmmmm....so, how does this work? Taxpayers pay for state PUC...and PUC is acting solely on a complaint by a private company (High Mountain Taxi) that obviously has a vendetta against Phil and yet gets all their legal fees and costs paid for by the state......and the taxpayers are pretty darn upset with the PUC for the entire debacle?
If Phil pays the 'fine', do the taxpayers get a refund on any of this mess and High Mountain Taxi finally steps up to pitch in to cover the state's costs? Seems fair considering if Phil doesn't pay this 'fine' he's going to be in contempt again and headed back to jail.
So, how about you?
Still boycotting High Mountain Taxi in Aspen, Colorado? Good for you. Buzz has it that so are most area residents. Wonder how long it will take HIGH MOUNTAIN TAXI in ASPEN, COLORADO to launch another vendetta against Phil because they're so upset over their continued loss of business?
Chad Abraham:
"If the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) gets its way, rouge cabbie Phil Sullivan will have to cough up $1,107.79 to pay for the hotel stays and other travel expenses of investigators and attorneys that came to Aspen to shut him down.
Meanwhile, the PUC is investigating whether a nonprofit organization recently formed by the Woody Creek man complies with statutory requirements that would exempt the corporation from state oversight. The tactic was conceived of by Sullivan’s attorney as a way to allow him to legally continue giving people free rides around town while accepting donations.
A six-year battle between the public utilities commission (PUC) and Phil Sullivan has resulted in two jail terms totaling about two weeks for the 76-year-old. He was found to have violated a district judge’s court order prohibiting him from giving rides around Aspen for tips.
On Monday, Judge Gail Nichols of Pitkin County District Court approved the PUC’s motion to bill Sullivan for the agency’s travel costs in pursuing the case. The expenses, which are related to the state’s most recent investigation of Sullivan last summer, amounted to $1,107.79...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
If Phil pays the 'fine', do the taxpayers get a refund on any of this mess and High Mountain Taxi finally steps up to pitch in to cover the state's costs? Seems fair considering if Phil doesn't pay this 'fine' he's going to be in contempt again and headed back to jail.
So, how about you?
Still boycotting High Mountain Taxi in Aspen, Colorado? Good for you. Buzz has it that so are most area residents. Wonder how long it will take HIGH MOUNTAIN TAXI in ASPEN, COLORADO to launch another vendetta against Phil because they're so upset over their continued loss of business?
Chad Abraham:
"If the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) gets its way, rouge cabbie Phil Sullivan will have to cough up $1,107.79 to pay for the hotel stays and other travel expenses of investigators and attorneys that came to Aspen to shut him down.
Meanwhile, the PUC is investigating whether a nonprofit organization recently formed by the Woody Creek man complies with statutory requirements that would exempt the corporation from state oversight. The tactic was conceived of by Sullivan’s attorney as a way to allow him to legally continue giving people free rides around town while accepting donations.
A six-year battle between the public utilities commission (PUC) and Phil Sullivan has resulted in two jail terms totaling about two weeks for the 76-year-old. He was found to have violated a district judge’s court order prohibiting him from giving rides around Aspen for tips.
On Monday, Judge Gail Nichols of Pitkin County District Court approved the PUC’s motion to bill Sullivan for the agency’s travel costs in pursuing the case. The expenses, which are related to the state’s most recent investigation of Sullivan last summer, amounted to $1,107.79...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Steamboat Today "Our View: Allocate revenues based on merit"
"Revenue from the city of Steamboat Springs’ half-cent sales tax for education should not be treated as a de facto subsidy for the Steamboat Springs School District. Thus, the Education Fund Board should continue to approve grant requests based solely on merit and outcomes, no matter which organization or body submits the request.
That’s not necessarily the way Steamboat Springs School Board officials see things, as board member Robin Crossan made clear last week by questioning the value of funding requests from community groups, when such requests could come at the expense of what the Steamboat school district wants.
We hope Fund Board members don’t lose sight of the fact that many of the education-oriented, nonprofit community groups are requesting a small amount of money for the continuation of longstanding and successful school-based programs. And we wish the Steamboat Springs School District would focus more on producing its own strong, outcome-based funding requests than worrying that some of the community tax dollars might go to other entities...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
That’s not necessarily the way Steamboat Springs School Board officials see things, as board member Robin Crossan made clear last week by questioning the value of funding requests from community groups, when such requests could come at the expense of what the Steamboat school district wants.
We hope Fund Board members don’t lose sight of the fact that many of the education-oriented, nonprofit community groups are requesting a small amount of money for the continuation of longstanding and successful school-based programs. And we wish the Steamboat Springs School District would focus more on producing its own strong, outcome-based funding requests than worrying that some of the community tax dollars might go to other entities...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: KJCT News 8 "Re-2 School District Approves 4 Day Weeks"
It is hard. Has been hard to watch as well.
But sooner or later, our public schools and publicaly funded education had to get a wake-up call because somewhere along the way they just found it way too easy to stick their hand out for public money and live on credit.
There is no reason whatsoever that taxpayers should be funding public education when there are so many alternatives out there that could make our public education system self-sustaining.
RE-2, out of necessity, has just hit on one of those ways. Four day school weeks. Now take it a step further and start after Labor Day with an end to the year right before Memorial Day. Cut back on vacation/break times to make up the difference. The end result will be far greater efficiency and lower operating costs.
While on a roll, here's to RE-2 pulling together a push toward lawmakers to break up the Parks and Rec 'hogs' who scarf up all the gaming and lottery proceeds. That cash cow whould be divided equally between parks and rec, K-12 education, road and bridge and law enforcement.
Don Coleman:
"NEW CASTLE, Colo. -- Garfield County's Re-2 school district will join more than 50 others across the state on a four day school week next year. The decision was handed down at Tuesday night's school board meeting and is part of an effort to cut costs with a $1.7million to $2.2 million shortfall looming.
After a lengthy meeting, the board voted four to one in favor of shortening school weeks.
"To me, it's probably our most positive option," School Board President Chris Pearson said. "It was a tough decision, but probably the easiest to make now that we're considering 'big ticket items.'"
Pearson says this choice is one of the only ones that offsets costs without affecting the staff too much.
The school district's financial department expects the move will save the district around $500,000 next year through fuel reductions, hourly staff reductions, and savings on utilities....:" (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
But sooner or later, our public schools and publicaly funded education had to get a wake-up call because somewhere along the way they just found it way too easy to stick their hand out for public money and live on credit.
There is no reason whatsoever that taxpayers should be funding public education when there are so many alternatives out there that could make our public education system self-sustaining.
RE-2, out of necessity, has just hit on one of those ways. Four day school weeks. Now take it a step further and start after Labor Day with an end to the year right before Memorial Day. Cut back on vacation/break times to make up the difference. The end result will be far greater efficiency and lower operating costs.
While on a roll, here's to RE-2 pulling together a push toward lawmakers to break up the Parks and Rec 'hogs' who scarf up all the gaming and lottery proceeds. That cash cow whould be divided equally between parks and rec, K-12 education, road and bridge and law enforcement.
Don Coleman:
"NEW CASTLE, Colo. -- Garfield County's Re-2 school district will join more than 50 others across the state on a four day school week next year. The decision was handed down at Tuesday night's school board meeting and is part of an effort to cut costs with a $1.7million to $2.2 million shortfall looming.
After a lengthy meeting, the board voted four to one in favor of shortening school weeks.
"To me, it's probably our most positive option," School Board President Chris Pearson said. "It was a tough decision, but probably the easiest to make now that we're considering 'big ticket items.'"
Pearson says this choice is one of the only ones that offsets costs without affecting the staff too much.
The school district's financial department expects the move will save the district around $500,000 next year through fuel reductions, hourly staff reductions, and savings on utilities....:" (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Glenwood Springs Post Independent/Your Letters "Never in anyone's backyard"
Kateri Hall:
"A March 1 Post Independent headline couldn't escape my eyes: “Oak Meadows residents alarmed about gas drilling.” And on Feb. 28, I read where the proposed asphalt plant owners were not going to be permitted to use their property to operate their plant beside the organic farm.
First, I submit I haven't been here long enough to know details on either topic. I don't know which side I would support on either topic. I do know that I would entertain both ideas with a business-friendly approach.
That's what I'm pushing. Entertain the ideas. Spend some of that “no” energy on a solution on how and where to make business happen.
I look around the Western Slope and I see a gorgeous part of the Rockies. I also see the economy has hit hard times here. In an area where jobs are scarce, I'm struck how many people's first reaction is to say “no.”
How hungry does someone have to be before they are open to discussion? I dare answer my own question and say maybe they're not hungry at all. Maybe the food stamps are flowing just fine in America.
The consensus always seems to be “Yeah, bring American jobs back to America.” Yet when someone ventures out, the same consensus is too eager to flood them with bureaucracy.
What's left for America? Our nation won't flourish where the only incomes allowed are consulting and welfare.
How many items did you purchase last week that were not made in America? How much did that tank of gas cost? If the consumer says “ouch,” they're not receptive to logic...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"A March 1 Post Independent headline couldn't escape my eyes: “Oak Meadows residents alarmed about gas drilling.” And on Feb. 28, I read where the proposed asphalt plant owners were not going to be permitted to use their property to operate their plant beside the organic farm.
First, I submit I haven't been here long enough to know details on either topic. I don't know which side I would support on either topic. I do know that I would entertain both ideas with a business-friendly approach.
That's what I'm pushing. Entertain the ideas. Spend some of that “no” energy on a solution on how and where to make business happen.
I look around the Western Slope and I see a gorgeous part of the Rockies. I also see the economy has hit hard times here. In an area where jobs are scarce, I'm struck how many people's first reaction is to say “no.”
How hungry does someone have to be before they are open to discussion? I dare answer my own question and say maybe they're not hungry at all. Maybe the food stamps are flowing just fine in America.
The consensus always seems to be “Yeah, bring American jobs back to America.” Yet when someone ventures out, the same consensus is too eager to flood them with bureaucracy.
What's left for America? Our nation won't flourish where the only incomes allowed are consulting and welfare.
How many items did you purchase last week that were not made in America? How much did that tank of gas cost? If the consumer says “ouch,” they're not receptive to logic...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Pitkin County self-sufficiency standards presented to BOCC"
In easier to grasp terms, that works out to at least $13.00 per hour. Low and mid-tier Skico employees make less per hour than that. In fact, low tier make under $11.00 per hour. In fact, one has to be in a management position at Aspen Ski Corp. to make that bare minimum. And that bare minimum? Is for a single person. If you are single with one child you need to be making between $28 and $29 per hour.
Remember now, Aspen's largest employer is seasonal. So double or triple what you need to earn in order to get that made in 6 months or less.
Remember now, your 'perks' like health insurance, free ski pass and bus pass lower your expenses which translates out to a great point that Tracey Stewart makes in this article. 'You make too much' to qualify for most all subsidies to help out. Now there is a very interesting thought considering Aspen's blue blood runs liberal. Good 'ol fashioned capitalism is sounding better by the day, isn't it?
Still think Lee Mulcahy's voice should have been quashed by $Big Money$? Or that he should still be enduring the wrath of $Big Money$ for exposing them?
Before personally judging Mulcahy and supporters, please read up on all of the facts and get familiar with all of the story.
While you're at it, please read the entire article by Dorothy Atkins today. Up on the Aspen Daily News.
Dorothy Atkins:
"In order to be self sufficient and live in Pitkin County, an individual needs to make at least $27,000 a year, according to the Colorado Center on Law and Policy (CCLP), while a single parent with three young children needs to make $103,607 annually to get by on their own.
The nonprofit agency presented the statistics and others related to self-sufficiency standards to the Board of County Commissioners in a work session on Tuesday.
The study is an income measurement tool that determines how much money families of various sizes and compositions living in specific geographic locations need to earn in order to make ends meet without public or private assistance. The nonprofit produces the study every three years.
A singe parent with one child needs to earn at least $59,400 a year to be self sufficient in Pitkin County, while a two-parent, two-child household needs to make over $87,500 a year here, according to the study.
Those statistics include federal tax credits that families would theoretically receive like the child care credit and the earned income tax credit.
The study also addresses the increase in costs of basic needs since 2004. Of the six categories, all costs have gone up in Pitkin County except transportation. The costs of housing, child care, food, health care and taxes have all increased. The cost of health care showed the largest jump, increasing by 121 percent, which is consistent with the rest of the state, said Tracey Stewart, self-sufficiency project coordinator with CCLP.
Of a sampling of various common working and middle class lines of work, only two occupations in Pitkin County pay enough for a single parent with one preschooler and one school-age child to be self sufficient, according to the study. Those are registered nurses and operations managers, the latter of which theoretically includes people in management positions at Aspen Skiing Co., Stewart said.
Commissioner Rob Ittner questioned Stewart on whether or not the study took into account benefits that residents receive — like affordable housing and food stamps — which can do a lot to offset the high cost of living in Pitkin County.
Stewart countered that there is often a gap between the amount of money individuals would have to earn on the lower end to qualify for receiving benefits from the government and the amount one would have to make to be self-sufficient...." (Read more? You should. Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Remember now, Aspen's largest employer is seasonal. So double or triple what you need to earn in order to get that made in 6 months or less.
Remember now, your 'perks' like health insurance, free ski pass and bus pass lower your expenses which translates out to a great point that Tracey Stewart makes in this article. 'You make too much' to qualify for most all subsidies to help out. Now there is a very interesting thought considering Aspen's blue blood runs liberal. Good 'ol fashioned capitalism is sounding better by the day, isn't it?
Still think Lee Mulcahy's voice should have been quashed by $Big Money$? Or that he should still be enduring the wrath of $Big Money$ for exposing them?
Before personally judging Mulcahy and supporters, please read up on all of the facts and get familiar with all of the story.
While you're at it, please read the entire article by Dorothy Atkins today. Up on the Aspen Daily News.
Dorothy Atkins:
"In order to be self sufficient and live in Pitkin County, an individual needs to make at least $27,000 a year, according to the Colorado Center on Law and Policy (CCLP), while a single parent with three young children needs to make $103,607 annually to get by on their own.
The nonprofit agency presented the statistics and others related to self-sufficiency standards to the Board of County Commissioners in a work session on Tuesday.
The study is an income measurement tool that determines how much money families of various sizes and compositions living in specific geographic locations need to earn in order to make ends meet without public or private assistance. The nonprofit produces the study every three years.
A singe parent with one child needs to earn at least $59,400 a year to be self sufficient in Pitkin County, while a two-parent, two-child household needs to make over $87,500 a year here, according to the study.
Those statistics include federal tax credits that families would theoretically receive like the child care credit and the earned income tax credit.
The study also addresses the increase in costs of basic needs since 2004. Of the six categories, all costs have gone up in Pitkin County except transportation. The costs of housing, child care, food, health care and taxes have all increased. The cost of health care showed the largest jump, increasing by 121 percent, which is consistent with the rest of the state, said Tracey Stewart, self-sufficiency project coordinator with CCLP.
Of a sampling of various common working and middle class lines of work, only two occupations in Pitkin County pay enough for a single parent with one preschooler and one school-age child to be self sufficient, according to the study. Those are registered nurses and operations managers, the latter of which theoretically includes people in management positions at Aspen Skiing Co., Stewart said.
Commissioner Rob Ittner questioned Stewart on whether or not the study took into account benefits that residents receive — like affordable housing and food stamps — which can do a lot to offset the high cost of living in Pitkin County.
Stewart countered that there is often a gap between the amount of money individuals would have to earn on the lower end to qualify for receiving benefits from the government and the amount one would have to make to be self-sufficient...." (Read more? You should. Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 13, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Red State "New Record Monthly Deficit 37 Months into Obama’s Presidency "
Daniel Horowitz Diary:
"Here’s a headline you won’t see in the media this week: we incurred the largest monthly deficit on record in February.
Seven months into a government “reined in” by the Budget Control Act, we are supposed to be reaping the benefits of budget reduction. Yet, according to CBO, we incurred a gargantuan
Think for a moment about what it means to spend $335 billion in 29 days. It comes out to $11.5 billion per day; $480 million per hour. So the next time Congress deliberates over a few billion in spending cuts over the course of a month, remember that we will add several hundred billion more in debt during the course of the debate.
What is so astounding about the record monthly deficit is that it comes amidst a recovery in the job market and an overall increase in revenues. Due to quirks in the scheduling of government payments, February is always a bad month; nevertheless, even during the worst months of the recession, we never suffered such a large budget deficit. In February 2009, the monthly deficit checked in at $193.8 trillion. At a time when tax receipts are increasing again (corporate tax receipts are up 56%), we should not be racking up such high deficits. Hence, it is incontrovertibly clear that we don’t have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem, most prominently, an entitlement and welfare problem...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
$229 billion
"Here’s a headline you won’t see in the media this week: we incurred the largest monthly deficit on record in February.
Seven months into a government “reined in” by the Budget Control Act, we are supposed to be reaping the benefits of budget reduction. Yet, according to CBO, we incurred a gargantuan
Think for a moment about what it means to spend $335 billion in 29 days. It comes out to $11.5 billion per day; $480 million per hour. So the next time Congress deliberates over a few billion in spending cuts over the course of a month, remember that we will add several hundred billion more in debt during the course of the debate.
What is so astounding about the record monthly deficit is that it comes amidst a recovery in the job market and an overall increase in revenues. Due to quirks in the scheduling of government payments, February is always a bad month; nevertheless, even during the worst months of the recession, we never suffered such a large budget deficit. In February 2009, the monthly deficit checked in at $193.8 trillion. At a time when tax receipts are increasing again (corporate tax receipts are up 56%), we should not be racking up such high deficits. Hence, it is incontrovertibly clear that we don’t have a revenue problem; we have a spending problem, most prominently, an entitlement and welfare problem...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
$229 billion
SandBoxBlogs: Keith Hennessey "A good Jobs Day"
Keith Hennessey, March 9, 2012:
"The fewest numbers you need to know
This morning the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in February the U.S. economy created 227,000 net new jobs and the unemployment rate held steady at 8.3%.
We are still 5.3 million jobs shy of peak employment in December 2007 and 864,000 shy of January 2009 when President Obama took office.
Same data, different views
Different audiences look at employment data in different ways:
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"The fewest numbers you need to know
This morning the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in February the U.S. economy created 227,000 net new jobs and the unemployment rate held steady at 8.3%.
We are still 5.3 million jobs shy of peak employment in December 2007 and 864,000 shy of January 2009 when President Obama took office.
Same data, different views
Different audiences look at employment data in different ways:
- People’s lives are most affected by the level of employment: how many people are working and what is the unemployment rate? At 8.3 percent this number is still bad.
- As both a policy and political matter, Washington, DC cares about the level, but even more about the direction and rate of change: are we adding or subtracting jobs, is unemployment rising or falling, are we “headed in the right direction?” From this view today’s report offers good news, at least on the jobs created front. I assume the Administration will cite 17 months of continuous job growth. Possibly more significant is that we have had four months of job growth > 150,000/month, which is roughly what you need to keep up with population growth. The trend continues to be positive, although you should want even bigger numbers since the unemployment rate is still high.
- Markets and market commentators care even more about how the change compares with expectations before the data was released. Today’s numbers slightly exceeded expectations of about 200,000 net new jobs so the reaction from this perspective should also be positive...."
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Hot Air Blog "Oh my: Obama’s approval rating hits new low in CBS poll"
AllahPundit:
"Second look at the “war on women”?
Just 41 percent of Americans approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing as president, according to the poll, conducted from March 7 to 11. Another 47 percent disapprove of his performance, up from 41 percent last month.
Mr. Obama’s approval rating was 50 percent last month.
The average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline has jumped 12 cents over the past two weeks. The poll found that most Americans, 54 percent, believe gas prices are something a president can do a lot about…
Mr. Obama’s job rating on the economy remains about the same as it was last month – 39 percent approve, while 54 percent disapprove...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Second look at the “war on women”?
Just 41 percent of Americans approve of the job Mr. Obama is doing as president, according to the poll, conducted from March 7 to 11. Another 47 percent disapprove of his performance, up from 41 percent last month.
Mr. Obama’s approval rating was 50 percent last month.
The average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline has jumped 12 cents over the past two weeks. The poll found that most Americans, 54 percent, believe gas prices are something a president can do a lot about…
Mr. Obama’s job rating on the economy remains about the same as it was last month – 39 percent approve, while 54 percent disapprove...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Colorado Statesman "Political odd fellows score major legal win"
Peter Marcus:
"So-called “527 political organizations” in Colorado scored a major victory on Feb. 21 when the Colorado Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the organizations can spend unlimited money in support of state candidates and operate free of some state campaign governance laws so long as the organizations steer clear of “magic [electioneering] words” that would trigger those laws.
The ruling in Colorado Ethics Watch v. Senate Majority Fund, LLC offers a comfort level to political organizations in Colorado raising funds for “issue ads,” and clarifies so-called “bright-line” rules defining state campaign finance regulations, specifically around the 2002 voter-approved campaign finance laws enacted by Amendment 27. While the ruling essentially preserves the status quo in Colorado, it is significant in that it clearly defines campaign governance rules of political organizations.
“It’s really about having bright lines that separate states that might fall within the ambit of campaign regulations from speech that clearly is outside of those regulations, and the brighter that line is the more robust and uninhibited political debate can be,” said Steven A. Klenda, an attorney with Republican Secretary of State Scott Gessler’s former law firm Hackstaff Law Group, which represented the Senate Majority Fund, a Senate Republicans leadership advocacy group...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"So-called “527 political organizations” in Colorado scored a major victory on Feb. 21 when the Colorado Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the organizations can spend unlimited money in support of state candidates and operate free of some state campaign governance laws so long as the organizations steer clear of “magic [electioneering] words” that would trigger those laws.
The ruling in Colorado Ethics Watch v. Senate Majority Fund, LLC offers a comfort level to political organizations in Colorado raising funds for “issue ads,” and clarifies so-called “bright-line” rules defining state campaign finance regulations, specifically around the 2002 voter-approved campaign finance laws enacted by Amendment 27. While the ruling essentially preserves the status quo in Colorado, it is significant in that it clearly defines campaign governance rules of political organizations.
“It’s really about having bright lines that separate states that might fall within the ambit of campaign regulations from speech that clearly is outside of those regulations, and the brighter that line is the more robust and uninhibited political debate can be,” said Steven A. Klenda, an attorney with Republican Secretary of State Scott Gessler’s former law firm Hackstaff Law Group, which represented the Senate Majority Fund, a Senate Republicans leadership advocacy group...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Durango Herald "In love letters to Pat, the Nixon we never knew"
Gillian Flaccus:
"ORBA LINDA, Calif. – Long before Richard Nixon rose to power and fell from grace, he was just another man in love.
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"ORBA LINDA, Calif. – Long before Richard Nixon rose to power and fell from grace, he was just another man in love.
Decades before he became known as “Tricky Dick,” Nixon was penning nicknames (sweet ones) to his future bride in love notes that reveal a surprisingly soft and romantic side of the man taken down by Watergate. Nixon shared the stage with Patricia Ryan in a community theater production and six of the dozens of letters they exchanged during their two-year courtship will be unveiled Friday at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum as part of an exhibit celebrating the 100th birthday of the woman Nixon playfully called his “Irish gypsy.”
In Nixon’s letters, he recalls their first meeting in flowery prose, daydreams about their future together and waxes poetic about the first time his “dearest heart” agreed to take a drive with him.
“Every day and every night I want to see you and be with you. Yet I have no feeling of selfish ownership or jealousy,” he writes in one undated letter. “Let’s go for a long ride Sunday; let’s go to the mountains weekends; let’s read books in front of fires; most of all, let’s really grow together and find the happiness we know is ours.”
Eighteen years after his death, the correspondence offers a tiny window into a fiercely private side of Nixon that almost no one ever saw and represents a love letter of sorts to fans of the 37th president, who were infuriated when the National Archives took over the museum and overhauled it to include a detailed chronicle of Watergate...." (Read more? Click title)
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News "Drug case leads to Aspen man being arrested again"
"An Aspen man facing eight felony drug charges was arrested again Friday at a large party at the Aspen Recreation Center for allegedly violating the terms of earlier sentences in separate cases.
Thomas Simmons, 22, was taken into custody around 11 p.m. on two warrants out of Garfield County.
Simmons was arrested Feb. 4 and originally charged with tampering with evidence in a case that was later dropped because police misidentified him on surveillance video. But an officer allegedly found cocaine and ecstasy packaged for sale on his person when he was arrested at the Belly Up during a concert.
Police then obtained a search warrant for his Park Circle apartment. There, police say they uncovered 4.6 ounces of MDMA and 1.6 ounces of cocaine, along with 27 doses of LSD and nearly an ounce of psilocybin mushrooms. Aspen authorities said it was one of their largest drug seizures in recent memory.
The arrest apparently violated the sentencing terms of two cases Simmons had in Garfield County. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor theft and also admitted culpability in a 2009 felony drug-distribution case...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Thomas Simmons, 22, was taken into custody around 11 p.m. on two warrants out of Garfield County.
Simmons was arrested Feb. 4 and originally charged with tampering with evidence in a case that was later dropped because police misidentified him on surveillance video. But an officer allegedly found cocaine and ecstasy packaged for sale on his person when he was arrested at the Belly Up during a concert.
Police then obtained a search warrant for his Park Circle apartment. There, police say they uncovered 4.6 ounces of MDMA and 1.6 ounces of cocaine, along with 27 doses of LSD and nearly an ounce of psilocybin mushrooms. Aspen authorities said it was one of their largest drug seizures in recent memory.
The arrest apparently violated the sentencing terms of two cases Simmons had in Garfield County. In 2011, he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor theft and also admitted culpability in a 2009 felony drug-distribution case...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Steamboat Today "Heroin investigation in Steamboat yields arrests"
Matt Stensland:
"Steamboat Springs — Three Steamboat Springs men have been arrested on suspicion of their involvement in heroin distribution.
The All Crimes Enforcement Team drug task force arrested the men Friday night after a six-week investigation, ACET Commander Marvin Cameron said. Cameron said three search warrants and two arrest warrants were served Friday starting at about 5:30 p.m.
“I can definitely tell you that Steamboat Springs is a safer place and a better place today,” Cameron said.
Elijah Joseph Persons, 21, was arrested on suspicion of organized crime, distribution of Schedule 1 narcotics and money laundering. He was arrested Friday evening while working at his job in downtown Steamboat. Steamboat Springs Police Department Chief Joel Rae said a search of Persons’ car yielded 40 grams of heroin.
Persons’ brother, Jordan Thomas Persons, 19, was arrested when a search warrant was served on the car he was driving on Rabbit Ears Pass. Rae said he was arrested on suspicion of organized crime, possession of Schedule 1 narcotics and money laundering.
Rae said Samuel Lawrence Andrew, 21, was a passenger in the car and was arrested on suspicion of possession of Schedule 2 and Schedule 4 narcotics and drug paraphernalia.
In a separate case, Rae said officers on Friday also arrested Nicholas Stephen Power while serving a search warrant at his home on Spruce Street.
All four appeared in Routt County District Court on Monday and were scheduled to appear next for status conferences at 1 p.m. Wednesday (March 14)...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Steamboat Springs — Three Steamboat Springs men have been arrested on suspicion of their involvement in heroin distribution.
The All Crimes Enforcement Team drug task force arrested the men Friday night after a six-week investigation, ACET Commander Marvin Cameron said. Cameron said three search warrants and two arrest warrants were served Friday starting at about 5:30 p.m.
“I can definitely tell you that Steamboat Springs is a safer place and a better place today,” Cameron said.
Elijah Joseph Persons, 21, was arrested on suspicion of organized crime, distribution of Schedule 1 narcotics and money laundering. He was arrested Friday evening while working at his job in downtown Steamboat. Steamboat Springs Police Department Chief Joel Rae said a search of Persons’ car yielded 40 grams of heroin.
Persons’ brother, Jordan Thomas Persons, 19, was arrested when a search warrant was served on the car he was driving on Rabbit Ears Pass. Rae said he was arrested on suspicion of organized crime, possession of Schedule 1 narcotics and money laundering.
Rae said Samuel Lawrence Andrew, 21, was a passenger in the car and was arrested on suspicion of possession of Schedule 2 and Schedule 4 narcotics and drug paraphernalia.
In a separate case, Rae said officers on Friday also arrested Nicholas Stephen Power while serving a search warrant at his home on Spruce Street.
All four appeared in Routt County District Court on Monday and were scheduled to appear next for status conferences at 1 p.m. Wednesday (March 14)...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: The Hill/Hillcon Valley "Yahoo files massive lawsuit against Facebook over patent infringement "
Brendan Sasso:
"Yahoo sued Facebook on Monday, accusing the social media giant of infringing 10 patents.
According to the lawsuit, Facebook copied Yahoo's products, including in advertising, privacy controls, social networking and messaging...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Yahoo sued Facebook on Monday, accusing the social media giant of infringing 10 patents.
According to the lawsuit, Facebook copied Yahoo's products, including in advertising, privacy controls, social networking and messaging...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Vail Daily "Next year's Vail Resorts Epic Pass on sale"
This is just such a great marketing idea. We're impressed with it every Spring.
To give a super deal on their signature Epic Pass for the upcoming season, before the current season is even over; not only gives locals a huge financial break it helps tourism dollars and the overall financial health of the Vail community.
Small businesses can see into the future a little bit easier so that they can plan ahead and in the off-chance the upcoming season turns out to be a dry one; skier visits being down takes less of a toll.
And the best part? For only a $49 down payment you have until September to pay the balance. Such a deal!
Vail Daily:
"BROOMFIELD, Colorado — Vail Resorts begins selling its popular ski and snowboard season passes Monday for the 2012-2013 winter season.
All passes are available for purchase at http://www.epicpass.com/.
• The Epic Local Pass, for $509, offers unlimited and unrestricted skiing or riding at Breckenridge, Keystone andArapahoeBasin with limited holiday restrictions at Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood. It also includes a total of 10 days at Vail or Beaver Creek with holiday restrictions.
• Summit Value Pass is available for $419 and provides unlimited and unrestricted lift access to Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, as well as access to Breckenridge with limited holiday restrictions. Pass holders can purchase access to Breckenridge on restricted days for $50 per day.
• The Epic Pass, offering unlimited, unrestricted skiing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood and Arapahoe Basin, is available for $659.
• Epic 7-Day gives skiers and snowboarders a total of seven unrestricted days of skiing and riding at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly and Northstar, plus Arapahoe Basin anytime during the season for a price of $509.
Prices and spring benefits are only guaranteed through April 15. Vail Resorts is giving guests the option to lock in these prices with a $49 down payment now with the remainder of the balance due in mid-September..." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
To give a super deal on their signature Epic Pass for the upcoming season, before the current season is even over; not only gives locals a huge financial break it helps tourism dollars and the overall financial health of the Vail community.
Small businesses can see into the future a little bit easier so that they can plan ahead and in the off-chance the upcoming season turns out to be a dry one; skier visits being down takes less of a toll.
And the best part? For only a $49 down payment you have until September to pay the balance. Such a deal!
Vail Daily:
"BROOMFIELD, Colorado — Vail Resorts begins selling its popular ski and snowboard season passes Monday for the 2012-2013 winter season.
All passes are available for purchase at http://www.epicpass.com/.
• The Epic Local Pass, for $509, offers unlimited and unrestricted skiing or riding at Breckenridge, Keystone andArapahoeBasin with limited holiday restrictions at Heavenly, Northstar and Kirkwood. It also includes a total of 10 days at Vail or Beaver Creek with holiday restrictions.
• Summit Value Pass is available for $419 and provides unlimited and unrestricted lift access to Keystone and Arapahoe Basin, as well as access to Breckenridge with limited holiday restrictions. Pass holders can purchase access to Breckenridge on restricted days for $50 per day.
• The Epic Pass, offering unlimited, unrestricted skiing at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly, Northstar, Kirkwood and Arapahoe Basin, is available for $659.
• Epic 7-Day gives skiers and snowboarders a total of seven unrestricted days of skiing and riding at Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, Heavenly and Northstar, plus Arapahoe Basin anytime during the season for a price of $509.
Prices and spring benefits are only guaranteed through April 15. Vail Resorts is giving guests the option to lock in these prices with a $49 down payment now with the remainder of the balance due in mid-September..." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Steamboat Today/Jimmy Westlake "My Favorite Stars: La Superba"
Jimmy Westlake:
"Note: Throughout the next year, I will share with you in this column some of my favorite stars — stars that you, too, can observe and perhaps add to your list of favorites. They are presented in no particular order other than when they are best observed.
Have you ever seen a red star? No, I mean a really red star. Tucked in under the handle of the Big Dipper is one of the reddest stars in the sky, named La Superba.
With a name like that, it had better be pretty impressive, and it is. La Superba is the brightest carbon star in the sky. With a surface temperature of only 3,500 degrees F, it also is one of the “coolest” naked eye stars and, for a star, cool means red...." (Read more? Click title.)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Note: Throughout the next year, I will share with you in this column some of my favorite stars — stars that you, too, can observe and perhaps add to your list of favorites. They are presented in no particular order other than when they are best observed.
Have you ever seen a red star? No, I mean a really red star. Tucked in under the handle of the Big Dipper is one of the reddest stars in the sky, named La Superba.
With a name like that, it had better be pretty impressive, and it is. La Superba is the brightest carbon star in the sky. With a surface temperature of only 3,500 degrees F, it also is one of the “coolest” naked eye stars and, for a star, cool means red...." (Read more? Click title.)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
March 12, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: National Review "The Truth about Fracking"
Kevin D. Williamson:
"In the middle-of-frackin’-nowhere Pennsylvania, Boy Genius is showing off his giant robot: It’s about 150 feet tall, God and the almighty engineers alone know how many hundreds of tons of steel, and four big, flat duck feet on bright orange legs. “Yeah, this is kind of cool,” he says of his supersized Erector Set project.
“You can set those feet at 45 degrees, and it will walk around in circles all day,” a colleague adds.
But Boy Genius is not letting himself get too excited about all this — it’s pretty clearly not his first giant robot, and he’s a lot more excited about his seismic-imaging system: “It’s kind of like a GPS, but it’s underground and it works with the Earth’s magnetic characteristics.” Nods all around — that is cool.
Everybody here has a three-day beard and a hardhat and steel-toed work boots, but there’s a strong whiff of chess club and Science Olympiad in the air, young men who are no strangers to the pocket protector, who in adolescence discovered an unusual facility for fluid dynamics and now are beavering away at mind-clutchingly complex technical problems, one of which is how to get a 150-foot-tall tower of machinery from A to B without taking it apart and trucking it (solution: add feet). That giant robot may walk, but it isn’t too fast: It can take half a day to move 20 feet, because this isn’t a Transformers movie, this is The Play, and Boy Genius is a member of the startlingly youthful and bespectacled tribe of engineers swarming out of the University of Pittsburgh and the Colorado School of Mines and Penn State and into the booming gas fields of Pennsylvania, where the math weenies are running the show in the Marcellus shale, figuring out how to relentlessly suck a Saudi Arabia’s worth of natural gas out of a vein of hot and impermeable rock thousands of feet beneath the green valleys of Penn’s woods. Forget about your wildcatters, your roughnecks, your swaggering Texans in big hats: The nerds have taken over...." (Read more? Click title)
"In the middle-of-frackin’-nowhere Pennsylvania, Boy Genius is showing off his giant robot: It’s about 150 feet tall, God and the almighty engineers alone know how many hundreds of tons of steel, and four big, flat duck feet on bright orange legs. “Yeah, this is kind of cool,” he says of his supersized Erector Set project.
“You can set those feet at 45 degrees, and it will walk around in circles all day,” a colleague adds.
But Boy Genius is not letting himself get too excited about all this — it’s pretty clearly not his first giant robot, and he’s a lot more excited about his seismic-imaging system: “It’s kind of like a GPS, but it’s underground and it works with the Earth’s magnetic characteristics.” Nods all around — that is cool.
Everybody here has a three-day beard and a hardhat and steel-toed work boots, but there’s a strong whiff of chess club and Science Olympiad in the air, young men who are no strangers to the pocket protector, who in adolescence discovered an unusual facility for fluid dynamics and now are beavering away at mind-clutchingly complex technical problems, one of which is how to get a 150-foot-tall tower of machinery from A to B without taking it apart and trucking it (solution: add feet). That giant robot may walk, but it isn’t too fast: It can take half a day to move 20 feet, because this isn’t a Transformers movie, this is The Play, and Boy Genius is a member of the startlingly youthful and bespectacled tribe of engineers swarming out of the University of Pittsburgh and the Colorado School of Mines and Penn State and into the booming gas fields of Pennsylvania, where the math weenies are running the show in the Marcellus shale, figuring out how to relentlessly suck a Saudi Arabia’s worth of natural gas out of a vein of hot and impermeable rock thousands of feet beneath the green valleys of Penn’s woods. Forget about your wildcatters, your roughnecks, your swaggering Texans in big hats: The nerds have taken over...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Grand Junction Daily Sentinel "GJ welcomes home navy seal"
We do think our returning military are special "E-6 Navy Seal Karl “Gus” Gustavson". Regardless of what heroics you take in stride every day.
Thank you for your service. Welcome home.
Richie Ann Ashcraft:
"E-6 Navy Seal Karl “Gus” Gustavson received a much deserved hero’s welcome Thursday morning after returning home for the second time from Afghanistan to his home town of Grand Junction.
Gustavson declined to speak about his service and said “there’s not much about work that I can really talk about.”
But, whatever it is he does do, it’s something important, dangerous and worthy of an immense amount of respect from his fellow veterans who turned out at Grand Junction Regional Airport to welcome him home.
“This is the second time we’ve welcomed him home. You’ll have to ask him what he does but I can tell you he really deserves it,” said Art Edwards, one of more than 20 Colorado Patriot Guard Riders and Legion Guard Riders who came to say thank you.
“Just think about all that’s happened in the last six months and that should tell you,” said Jim McNeill, a friend of Gus’ father. “I can tell you, he’s really, really special.” McNeill was looking forward to finally meeting Gus, after sending numerous care packages throughout the past year filled with food and candy as a showing of support.
Gustavson doesn’t know what all the fuss is about. “Not that I’m not special,” he said with a laugh...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Thank you for your service. Welcome home.
Richie Ann Ashcraft:
"E-6 Navy Seal Karl “Gus” Gustavson received a much deserved hero’s welcome Thursday morning after returning home for the second time from Afghanistan to his home town of Grand Junction.
Gustavson declined to speak about his service and said “there’s not much about work that I can really talk about.”
But, whatever it is he does do, it’s something important, dangerous and worthy of an immense amount of respect from his fellow veterans who turned out at Grand Junction Regional Airport to welcome him home.
“This is the second time we’ve welcomed him home. You’ll have to ask him what he does but I can tell you he really deserves it,” said Art Edwards, one of more than 20 Colorado Patriot Guard Riders and Legion Guard Riders who came to say thank you.
“Just think about all that’s happened in the last six months and that should tell you,” said Jim McNeill, a friend of Gus’ father. “I can tell you, he’s really, really special.” McNeill was looking forward to finally meeting Gus, after sending numerous care packages throughout the past year filled with food and candy as a showing of support.
Gustavson doesn’t know what all the fuss is about. “Not that I’m not special,” he said with a laugh...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Iowa Republican/Kevin Hall "Democrat Operative Reverses Plea; Guilty of Stealing Secretary of State’s Identity"
See related stories and commentary:
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2012/01/sandbox-comments-breaking-news-iowa.html
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2012/01/sandbox-comments-iowa-republican-kevins.html
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2012/01/sandbox-comments-iowa-republican-dem.html
http://www.dailyiowan.com/2012/03/07/Opinions/27358.html
http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/2857180/posts?page=1
Kevin Hall:
"Democrat operative Zach Edwards changed his initial not guilty plea to guilty and received a light sentence for stealing Secretary of State Matt Schultz’s identity. The plea was officially filed by Iowa Courts on Thursday. He pled guilty to identity theft, a simple misdemeanor.
Edwards received a deferred sentence of one year probation, 20 hours of community service within 120 days and a $65 fine. If he completes probation successfully, the simple misdemeanor charge is dismissed without a conviction being entered on his record. Edwards was originally charged with an aggravated misdemeanor and faced a maximum of two years in prison and a $6,250 fine. He was represented by prominent Republican attorney Matt Whitaker.
Zach Edwards was the Iowa Director of New Media for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. At the time of his arrest, he served in a similar capacity for Link Strategies, a Democrat consultant group closely aligned with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and several prominent Democrats around the country.
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2012/01/sandbox-comments-breaking-news-iowa.html
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2012/01/sandbox-comments-iowa-republican-kevins.html
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2012/01/sandbox-comments-iowa-republican-dem.html
http://www.dailyiowan.com/2012/03/07/Opinions/27358.html
http://freerepublic.com/focus/news/2857180/posts?page=1
Kevin Hall:
"Democrat operative Zach Edwards changed his initial not guilty plea to guilty and received a light sentence for stealing Secretary of State Matt Schultz’s identity. The plea was officially filed by Iowa Courts on Thursday. He pled guilty to identity theft, a simple misdemeanor.
Edwards received a deferred sentence of one year probation, 20 hours of community service within 120 days and a $65 fine. If he completes probation successfully, the simple misdemeanor charge is dismissed without a conviction being entered on his record. Edwards was originally charged with an aggravated misdemeanor and faced a maximum of two years in prison and a $6,250 fine. He was represented by prominent Republican attorney Matt Whitaker.
Zach Edwards was the Iowa Director of New Media for Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. At the time of his arrest, he served in a similar capacity for Link Strategies, a Democrat consultant group closely aligned with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin and several prominent Democrats around the country.
The Iowa Department of Public Safety said Edwards tried to use the identities of Secretary of State Matt Schultz, and/or his brother Thomas, with the intent to falsely implicate Secretary Schultz in illegal or unethical behavior. The Secretary of State’s office discovered the crime and reported it to authorities. Edwards was fired from his position at Link Strategies following the arrest...." (Read more? Click title)
SandBoxBlogs: KREX News 5 "Mountain Biker Hospitalized After Falling Off 20-Foot Cliff"
Every person who hikes, bikes, fishes, hunts, skis, snowboards, snowmobiles, etc. etc. should purchase a CORSAR card every year.
Colorado's search and rescue teams and all of our first responders are some of the best in the world. You never know when you or a loved one may need them. For less cost than a latte' you can financially support their work on your behalf.
Courtney Griffin:
"Loma- Rescue crews rushed to the aid of a mountain biker who fell 20 feet off a cliff Sunday afternoon. The biker, whose identity remains unknown, was riding along a cliff on Mary's Loop near the Loma boat ramps when he lost control and fell. Officials said that area is dangerous; they've seen many riders have problems on the same trail...."
(Read more? See the trail? Click title. Buy a CORSAR? Click link above)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Colorado's search and rescue teams and all of our first responders are some of the best in the world. You never know when you or a loved one may need them. For less cost than a latte' you can financially support their work on your behalf.
Courtney Griffin:
"Loma- Rescue crews rushed to the aid of a mountain biker who fell 20 feet off a cliff Sunday afternoon. The biker, whose identity remains unknown, was riding along a cliff on Mary's Loop near the Loma boat ramps when he lost control and fell. Officials said that area is dangerous; they've seen many riders have problems on the same trail...."
(Read more? See the trail? Click title. Buy a CORSAR? Click link above)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Glenwood Springs Post Independent/Your Letters "Make marijuana a true prescription drug"
Out of the mouths of the kids:
Kayla Kline:
"On my way to Glenwood Springs High School, I pass two dispensaries. I see two ads for medical cannabis while reading the local paper in the morning. I pass one dispensary before I cross the Grand Avenue bridge, and another just down the road.
In the paper I can always count on finding an article or an ad about medical marijuana. “Valley teen: Marijuana is ‘widely available.'” That article sure grabbed my attention. The article talked about a student in Carbondale and his dance with the medical marijuana epidemic. When asked where he would get his supply, he stated, “[My provider] would go down to the dispensary once or twice a week and get his marijuana, then he'd give it to me.”
In the local news briefs on March 8, another headline nabbed my attention: “Teen arrested for Carbondale dispensary break-in.” If you ask me, these dispensaries are nothing but trouble.
A group of us students at GSHS have been studying public policy. We are not out to say that marijuana should be legal or illegal. That's a lost argument.
We are looking into ways that medical marijuana could be better distributed. The main thing we have found when we asked our peers, “Do you think, upon seeing medical marijuana dispensaries, that marijuana is becoming socially acceptable?” is that 80 percent of the time, the answer was yes.
We have come up with a policy idea in which medical marijuana would be distributed through a pharmacy, like every other prescription medication. It would be given in a regulated dose with the information on usage as well as the patient's name on the prescription bottle. It would be handled by licensed pharmacists, and could only be obtained by prescription from a licensed doctor local to the patient's area of residence.
There would be less chance of abuse going unnoticed, it would follow the same guidelines as any other prescription drug, and be viewed, as it should be, strictly as a prescription drug...."
(Read orig. letter? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Kayla Kline:
"On my way to Glenwood Springs High School, I pass two dispensaries. I see two ads for medical cannabis while reading the local paper in the morning. I pass one dispensary before I cross the Grand Avenue bridge, and another just down the road.
In the paper I can always count on finding an article or an ad about medical marijuana. “Valley teen: Marijuana is ‘widely available.'” That article sure grabbed my attention. The article talked about a student in Carbondale and his dance with the medical marijuana epidemic. When asked where he would get his supply, he stated, “[My provider] would go down to the dispensary once or twice a week and get his marijuana, then he'd give it to me.”
In the local news briefs on March 8, another headline nabbed my attention: “Teen arrested for Carbondale dispensary break-in.” If you ask me, these dispensaries are nothing but trouble.
A group of us students at GSHS have been studying public policy. We are not out to say that marijuana should be legal or illegal. That's a lost argument.
We are looking into ways that medical marijuana could be better distributed. The main thing we have found when we asked our peers, “Do you think, upon seeing medical marijuana dispensaries, that marijuana is becoming socially acceptable?” is that 80 percent of the time, the answer was yes.
We have come up with a policy idea in which medical marijuana would be distributed through a pharmacy, like every other prescription medication. It would be given in a regulated dose with the information on usage as well as the patient's name on the prescription bottle. It would be handled by licensed pharmacists, and could only be obtained by prescription from a licensed doctor local to the patient's area of residence.
There would be less chance of abuse going unnoticed, it would follow the same guidelines as any other prescription drug, and be viewed, as it should be, strictly as a prescription drug...."
(Read orig. letter? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News/Letter to the Editor "Keep the land public"
'SandBox Nanny' has been a 'news junkie' since her late teens. And that...is a long time...
Throughout the years she has noticed that the sheer volume of vitriol output does come from liberals. The vast majority of the time one can find conservatives in defense mode. Rather than get into finger-pointing, smart defenders have developed what 'Nanny' calls the 'mirror defense'.
From the position of taking the higher road one can very effectively shine a reflective mirror on to those who antagonize.
Jennifer Isenhart shows beautiful execution of the 'mirror defense' today. Up on the Aspen Daily News.
Jennifer Isenhart, New Castle:
"Editor:
I recently had the pleasure of partaking in one of our freedoms: The right to speak at a town hall meeting. I took my two minutes to speak then sat quietly listening to others who had the right to do the same. I am writing at this moment in regards to the “heckler” leaving the meeting, speaking against my belief instead of taking the time to share theirs with me. I will not stoop down to a level below the beliefs I am so passionate about.
People might be quick to judge me just because I have a “No Hidden Gems” sticker displayed on my vehicle or for what I may speak about publicly. But no one has ever stopped to take a minute to ask me about my passions and beliefs on public lands, or to share theirs.
Hidden Gems supporters might be surprised that I see things very similarly to them. I care about our public lands, and even more this great planet we live on. I wish to protect it, and just like you I want the younger generation and those beyond to enjoy it just as I have. Yes, that may be by a motorized route to a special destination where we believe in teaching the younger generation to be good stewards of the land and to work hard to keep the land just the way it is — public.
I don’t believe wilderness is the answer for every piece of land. You can bet I won’t give up on the possibility of there being a better way. Maybe I could be a part of some new legislation, and I would invite you to be also, because deep down we all walk on the same path, just in different shoes. So as I proudly display my sticker I do so with an open heart and mind, and you will continue to see me out there on the trails working hard to keep them clean, promoting responsible use and standing strong for the belief that everyone should have that right to use it as well...." (Read original letter? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."\
Throughout the years she has noticed that the sheer volume of vitriol output does come from liberals. The vast majority of the time one can find conservatives in defense mode. Rather than get into finger-pointing, smart defenders have developed what 'Nanny' calls the 'mirror defense'.
From the position of taking the higher road one can very effectively shine a reflective mirror on to those who antagonize.
Jennifer Isenhart shows beautiful execution of the 'mirror defense' today. Up on the Aspen Daily News.
Jennifer Isenhart, New Castle:
"Editor:
I recently had the pleasure of partaking in one of our freedoms: The right to speak at a town hall meeting. I took my two minutes to speak then sat quietly listening to others who had the right to do the same. I am writing at this moment in regards to the “heckler” leaving the meeting, speaking against my belief instead of taking the time to share theirs with me. I will not stoop down to a level below the beliefs I am so passionate about.
People might be quick to judge me just because I have a “No Hidden Gems” sticker displayed on my vehicle or for what I may speak about publicly. But no one has ever stopped to take a minute to ask me about my passions and beliefs on public lands, or to share theirs.
Hidden Gems supporters might be surprised that I see things very similarly to them. I care about our public lands, and even more this great planet we live on. I wish to protect it, and just like you I want the younger generation and those beyond to enjoy it just as I have. Yes, that may be by a motorized route to a special destination where we believe in teaching the younger generation to be good stewards of the land and to work hard to keep the land just the way it is — public.
I don’t believe wilderness is the answer for every piece of land. You can bet I won’t give up on the possibility of there being a better way. Maybe I could be a part of some new legislation, and I would invite you to be also, because deep down we all walk on the same path, just in different shoes. So as I proudly display my sticker I do so with an open heart and mind, and you will continue to see me out there on the trails working hard to keep them clean, promoting responsible use and standing strong for the belief that everyone should have that right to use it as well...." (Read original letter? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."\
SandBoxBlogs: Summit County Citizens Voice " Morning photo: The winter that wasn’t?"
All credit Bob Berwyn:
"SUMMIT COUNTY — Lots of grumbling from tourists and old-timers alike on this winter, or the lack thereof, but was it really as bad as all that? You’ve seen all the stats on snowfall and temperature, now have a look at some of the photos showing that, yes, there was a winter in Summit County, with snow, cold, fog, ice … and it’s not over yet. My money is on a snowy and cold late March and early April.
"SUMMIT COUNTY — Lots of grumbling from tourists and old-timers alike on this winter, or the lack thereof, but was it really as bad as all that? You’ve seen all the stats on snowfall and temperature, now have a look at some of the photos showing that, yes, there was a winter in Summit County, with snow, cold, fog, ice … and it’s not over yet. My money is on a snowy and cold late March and early April.
And just as food for thought, I’d like to throw out there that a cycle of big wet winters (like last year), followed by a relatively short and mild winter (like this year so far), is probably beneficial to some plants and perhaps even animals in ways that we don’t even begin to understand. We just have to let go of the idea that we humans are at the center of the universe. All these pictures were taken before winter even formally began on the calendar...." (See more? Order photos? Click title)
March 11, 2012
SandBoxBlogs: Glenwood Springs Post Independent/Your Letters "Udall's wilderness proposal ‘the right thing to do' "
One of the things 'SandBoxBlogs" did not set out to become was a media critic. Yes, it's true.
Unfortunately, there was such a huge problem with two of our local papers at the time it became impossible not to be critical. Think back to 2009, 2010 and the early part of 2011 at 'the way things used to be on the PI and Times'. The Times cleaned up very quickly and capped that with standing up to corporate and begging off having a publisher in-house. From that point forward, they've been the Times we all recognize under the ownership of Swift Communications. Much better read every morning than the direction they had been going down.
The PI is 1000% better with another 75% or so left to go. Consumer complaints are more about content, writers and power abuses than they are accusations of being a 'tabloid trash media'.
The balancing act for local commentators is to figure out what to lend energy to and what to ignore.
SandBox has just ignored all the gushing coverage on the virtues of Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colorado) and his latest attempt to recreate Hidden Gems under a new name. Any land grab bill is likely to fail in the end and we'll put our energy into the real politics of it all when those politics are called upon.
With that said, it is hard to watch the short memory span of local letter to the editor writers. All this gushing and heaping of praise onto Udall's 'sainted' head is pretty tough to ignore when the reality of Sen. Mark Udall's politics are such that he will pander to either side of the coin when it comes to environmnental issues.
Fortunately, Colorado conservatives have fairly long memories and that is not good news for either Udall or Bennet.
Here are some reminders that balance out these praise filled letters to editors lately. Wonder why these stories are pushed away to the back archives by the PI? Hmmmmm......
http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_18657546
http://coloradoindependent.com/104256/the-wizards-of-oil-how-the-koch-brothers-influence-environmental-politics
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2011/10/sandbox-comments-glenwood-springs-post_9213.html
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2011/12/sandbox-comments-colorado-peak-politics.html
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2011/11/sandbox-comments-summit-county-citizens_2194.html
(Read today's letter praising Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colorado)? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
Unfortunately, there was such a huge problem with two of our local papers at the time it became impossible not to be critical. Think back to 2009, 2010 and the early part of 2011 at 'the way things used to be on the PI and Times'. The Times cleaned up very quickly and capped that with standing up to corporate and begging off having a publisher in-house. From that point forward, they've been the Times we all recognize under the ownership of Swift Communications. Much better read every morning than the direction they had been going down.
The PI is 1000% better with another 75% or so left to go. Consumer complaints are more about content, writers and power abuses than they are accusations of being a 'tabloid trash media'.
The balancing act for local commentators is to figure out what to lend energy to and what to ignore.
SandBox has just ignored all the gushing coverage on the virtues of Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colorado) and his latest attempt to recreate Hidden Gems under a new name. Any land grab bill is likely to fail in the end and we'll put our energy into the real politics of it all when those politics are called upon.
With that said, it is hard to watch the short memory span of local letter to the editor writers. All this gushing and heaping of praise onto Udall's 'sainted' head is pretty tough to ignore when the reality of Sen. Mark Udall's politics are such that he will pander to either side of the coin when it comes to environmnental issues.
Fortunately, Colorado conservatives have fairly long memories and that is not good news for either Udall or Bennet.
Here are some reminders that balance out these praise filled letters to editors lately. Wonder why these stories are pushed away to the back archives by the PI? Hmmmmm......
http://www.denverpost.com/recommended/ci_18657546
http://coloradoindependent.com/104256/the-wizards-of-oil-how-the-koch-brothers-influence-environmental-politics
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2011/10/sandbox-comments-glenwood-springs-post_9213.html
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2011/12/sandbox-comments-colorado-peak-politics.html
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2011/11/sandbox-comments-summit-county-citizens_2194.html
(Read today's letter praising Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colorado)? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Daily News/Letter to the Editor " Aspen boycott"
Mark Thomas, Hood River, Oregon:
"Editor:
Presumably, ACRA’s job is to help the business community in Aspen thrive. But by paying dues to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is does just the opposite, because the U.S. Chamber actively works to prevent a fix on climate, which the city’s own research says threatens the economy. There’s another problem though; people don’t want to visit a town that’s unethical and hypocritical. I used to live in the valley and love Aspen, but I can and will plan my next ski vacation in Steamboat Springs, which is not a member of the U.S. Chamber and seems to be doing just fine. Would a boycott be good for Aspen’s businesses? Does Steamboat’s chamber know something Aspen doesn’t?..." (Read the original? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
"Editor:
Presumably, ACRA’s job is to help the business community in Aspen thrive. But by paying dues to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is does just the opposite, because the U.S. Chamber actively works to prevent a fix on climate, which the city’s own research says threatens the economy. There’s another problem though; people don’t want to visit a town that’s unethical and hypocritical. I used to live in the valley and love Aspen, but I can and will plan my next ski vacation in Steamboat Springs, which is not a member of the U.S. Chamber and seems to be doing just fine. Would a boycott be good for Aspen’s businesses? Does Steamboat’s chamber know something Aspen doesn’t?..." (Read the original? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Daily Star "Poker champ Brit is facing murder rap"
Update May 1, 2012:
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2012/05/sandboxblogs-kidderminster-shuttle-son.html
________________________________
Update March 13, 2012: Viral links growing from origin of the interview Sunday, March 11, 2012 on the UK's Daily Star:
http://www.gambling911.com/poker/british-poker-player-faces-murder-charges-us-allegedly-killed-wife-030512.html
http://alphasportsblog.com/?p=239
http://unpromisedone.blogspot.com/2012/03/british-man-facing-murder-charges-for.html
http://www.recentpoker.com/news/Marcus-Bebb-Jones-5246.html
http://www.pokerstrategy.com/news/world-of-poker/Daily-Rewind:-Pro-in-Murder-Trial,-EPL-Analysis-Mickey-Petersen-Speaks_57472/
http://www.facebook.com/denverpost/posts/179113225537593?comment_id=492584
http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/showthread.php?54021-British-Poker-Champ-Marcus-Bebb-Jones-In-Court-Over-Wife-s-97-Murder
_________________________________________________
Update March 12, 2012: Viral link originating from the Daily Star: http://luxuryhotelinvietnam.com/poker-champ-brit-is-facing-murder-rap/
_________________________________________________________
Original Post March 11, 2012:
Disclaimer #1: Now that DA Beeson has thrown his hat in the ring for district attorney in the 9th, please take note that there will be no special treatment given to any news press surrounding his race. His articles, if they are SandBox worthy or chosen in the daily agg run-up; will be put up just like anyone else in a political race. What SandBox Commentators will continue to do, is heavily moderate his articles. We are the only news media that provides the courtesy of moderating commentary from the general public on 9th Judicial District and Mr. Beeson's articles. )
http://sandboxcommentators.blogspot.com/2012/05/sandboxblogs-kidderminster-shuttle-son.html
________________________________
Update March 13, 2012: Viral links growing from origin of the interview Sunday, March 11, 2012 on the UK's Daily Star:
http://www.gambling911.com/poker/british-poker-player-faces-murder-charges-us-allegedly-killed-wife-030512.html
http://alphasportsblog.com/?p=239
http://unpromisedone.blogspot.com/2012/03/british-man-facing-murder-charges-for.html
http://www.recentpoker.com/news/Marcus-Bebb-Jones-5246.html
http://www.pokerstrategy.com/news/world-of-poker/Daily-Rewind:-Pro-in-Murder-Trial,-EPL-Analysis-Mickey-Petersen-Speaks_57472/
http://www.facebook.com/denverpost/posts/179113225537593?comment_id=492584
http://www.dreamindemon.com/forums/showthread.php?54021-British-Poker-Champ-Marcus-Bebb-Jones-In-Court-Over-Wife-s-97-Murder
_________________________________________________
Update March 12, 2012: Viral link originating from the Daily Star: http://luxuryhotelinvietnam.com/poker-champ-brit-is-facing-murder-rap/
_________________________________________________________
Original Post March 11, 2012:
Disclaimer #1: Now that DA Beeson has thrown his hat in the ring for district attorney in the 9th, please take note that there will be no special treatment given to any news press surrounding his race. His articles, if they are SandBox worthy or chosen in the daily agg run-up; will be put up just like anyone else in a political race. What SandBox Commentators will continue to do, is heavily moderate his articles. We are the only news media that provides the courtesy of moderating commentary from the general public on 9th Judicial District and Mr. Beeson's articles. )
Disclaimer #2: During the London visits of GarCo Sheriff and 9th Judicial in 2010 and 2011, this blog was the target of malicious attacks on us, GarCo Sheriff, Marcus Bebb-Jones. A few of those attackers are known as individuals who had an agenda to attempt to sway local judicial cases and were turned to authorities. Please note that this post and all posts on Bebb-Jones are heavily moderated by SandBox with the end result being that if any of those individuals show up again on one of our sites, you will be turned over to the same authorities as you were in the past.
Lee Sorrell:
“Assuming the judge binds the case over for trial it must be held within 180 days of the defendant entering his plea.
“He has not yet been required to enter a plea but will probably be required to do so soon after the prelim is completed.”
According to court documents, on September 16, 1997, Bebb-Jones and wife Sabrina rowed about his flirting with guests staying at their Melrose Hotel in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Bebb-Jones is then alleged to have told investigators the couple went off to the nearby Dinosaur National Monument but had another argument and she fled.
She was reported missing by a hotel worker two days later.
By then Bebb-Jones had headed to Las Vegas with his three-year- old son.
Prosecutors claim he lived the high life in the party city, booking into various hotels, borrowing money at casinos and putting more than £3,500 on his credit card in a matter of days.
He is alleged to have told a friend he had rented a Ferrari and hired prostitutes as he wanted to “go out in style”.
The prosecution claim that at the end of his bender he booked himself another hotel, put a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger but survived...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Town Hall/John Ransom "The Mental Illness Behind Anonymous"
The common man sat back during the 2000 election cycle and watched Al Gore and John Kerry begin the distortion of main stream media into a very one-sided liberal stream of political propaganda.
In the 2004 election cycle, conservative media began to fight back and soon got the hang of how the game works. As Joe Hyde said of the media in general during the 2012 Rick Perry campaign: "..it's an ego driven profession..".
The folks responded in 2000 by trying out (what was then a rather covert type of communication) the fairly new 'blogosphere' in order to get their voices heard. The result was that George W. Bush was elected and the debacle that was Florida was exposed to the world at large.
By the time the 2004 election cycle came around, major news outlets were monitoring the voices in that blogosphere. There was an air of excitement from lead anchors who seemed to relish calling out avatar names as if they were some kind of spies living in hidden lairs that conveniently had internet access. No one really stopped to think that just maybe those voices in the blogosphere might be the common man voter.
In 2008 it all became a free-for-all of voices clamoring for attention. The Tea Party was born and Ron Paul commandeered the radicals in cyber politics out of which he empowered a small army of powerful voices. The blogosphere became a legitimately recognized power that no politician can control.
In the 2012 presidential cycle the blogosphere has settled into the single most powerful media tool in the world. One that smart politicians recognize they have no hope of ever controlling. A true wild card that can now micro-blog as well.
How long will it take this time to get rid of the attempts by the establishments of both parties, ruling kings and presidents to try to discredit the voices of the people they serve by bullying them, censoring them and manipulating their credibility with disinformation? Another four years? Less?
Please do not flood the mailbox with ranges of hate mail or disinformation that 'SandBox' condones what the 'Anonymous'/LulzSec' group(s) have done with their time and effort. We do not condone illegal acts or the spreading of viral information that has been distorted.
One of the things we do support with any 'anonymous' commentary is the freedom to speak and to do so under the protection of privacy.
Since the 'takedown' of 'Anonymous/LulzSec' this past week, 'SandBoxBlogs' finds the mainstream media push to try to discredit those voices by labeling them as 'mentally unstable', 'terrorists', etc. etc. unconscionable. Go after ferreting out whether or not illegal acts were committed by anyone, such as true hacking, and administer justice. But if to get that done, you have to resort to outright lies through distortion of facts, that is not only unnecessary it is wrong.
A thank you goes out to John Ransom, somewhere out there on Town Hall, for showing the quoted voices of 'Anonymous' so that you can decide for yourself.
John Ransom:
"Ca7 wrote: It's cute that you would try to paint this as "democrats don't think of unemployment insurance fraud as a crime" when your only specific example of unemployment insurance fraud is one where all the parties involved were actually arrested on fraud charges.- in response to How Stimulating: Unemployment Benefits for Murderers
Dear Comrade 7,
Actually the specific examples (plural) that I included did include one example where someone was arrested on fraud charges- because he was unlucky enough to be incarcerated for murder. Local authorities got involved where the feds likely wouldn’t have. And like the typical progressive, you point to the exception and ignore the rule.
The rule is that $16.5 billion was paid out in fraudulent claims, with less than 5 percent of that money recovered. And under Democrats, unemployment fraud has jumped another 11 percent year-over-year. One would think perhaps someone in the federal government who has the responsibility to administer the program might actually do something about it.
But nope.
“We don’t think this is mostly about fraud—we think it’s a lack of clarity of understanding what eligibility is,” Jane Oates, Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Administration at the Department of Labor, told the Times.
Tortured words and tortured reasoning for not enforcing the law just leads to more crime and encourages people to steal.
Dear Comrade Rob,
Why yes I do get paid to write this stuff. I’m guessing that you are wondering how to tax it. The Stamp Act has already been tried. But hey: Maybe Democrats can bring it back and just call it a fee? Three cheers for King Obama!
Pelosi doesn’t have to advocate for convicted murders to get unemployment. They already collect the benefit according to the example cited above. And why wouldn’t they? The “Clarity of Understanding” training that they’ll make these gang-bangers go through as punishment probably won’t be much of a deterrent to people who make a living breaking the law.
If Pelosi advocated policies that forced us all to live with our doors and windows wide open, I’m guessing crime would go up. And when it did, you wouldn’t just blame the criminals, but rather you’d blame the people who made our property and families unsafe to begin with ala Fancy Nancy...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
In the 2004 election cycle, conservative media began to fight back and soon got the hang of how the game works. As Joe Hyde said of the media in general during the 2012 Rick Perry campaign: "..it's an ego driven profession..".
The folks responded in 2000 by trying out (what was then a rather covert type of communication) the fairly new 'blogosphere' in order to get their voices heard. The result was that George W. Bush was elected and the debacle that was Florida was exposed to the world at large.
By the time the 2004 election cycle came around, major news outlets were monitoring the voices in that blogosphere. There was an air of excitement from lead anchors who seemed to relish calling out avatar names as if they were some kind of spies living in hidden lairs that conveniently had internet access. No one really stopped to think that just maybe those voices in the blogosphere might be the common man voter.
In 2008 it all became a free-for-all of voices clamoring for attention. The Tea Party was born and Ron Paul commandeered the radicals in cyber politics out of which he empowered a small army of powerful voices. The blogosphere became a legitimately recognized power that no politician can control.
In the 2012 presidential cycle the blogosphere has settled into the single most powerful media tool in the world. One that smart politicians recognize they have no hope of ever controlling. A true wild card that can now micro-blog as well.
How long will it take this time to get rid of the attempts by the establishments of both parties, ruling kings and presidents to try to discredit the voices of the people they serve by bullying them, censoring them and manipulating their credibility with disinformation? Another four years? Less?
Please do not flood the mailbox with ranges of hate mail or disinformation that 'SandBox' condones what the 'Anonymous'/LulzSec' group(s) have done with their time and effort. We do not condone illegal acts or the spreading of viral information that has been distorted.
One of the things we do support with any 'anonymous' commentary is the freedom to speak and to do so under the protection of privacy.
Since the 'takedown' of 'Anonymous/LulzSec' this past week, 'SandBoxBlogs' finds the mainstream media push to try to discredit those voices by labeling them as 'mentally unstable', 'terrorists', etc. etc. unconscionable. Go after ferreting out whether or not illegal acts were committed by anyone, such as true hacking, and administer justice. But if to get that done, you have to resort to outright lies through distortion of facts, that is not only unnecessary it is wrong.
A thank you goes out to John Ransom, somewhere out there on Town Hall, for showing the quoted voices of 'Anonymous' so that you can decide for yourself.
John Ransom:
"Ca7 wrote: It's cute that you would try to paint this as "democrats don't think of unemployment insurance fraud as a crime" when your only specific example of unemployment insurance fraud is one where all the parties involved were actually arrested on fraud charges.- in response to How Stimulating: Unemployment Benefits for Murderers
Dear Comrade 7,
Actually the specific examples (plural) that I included did include one example where someone was arrested on fraud charges- because he was unlucky enough to be incarcerated for murder. Local authorities got involved where the feds likely wouldn’t have. And like the typical progressive, you point to the exception and ignore the rule.
The rule is that $16.5 billion was paid out in fraudulent claims, with less than 5 percent of that money recovered. And under Democrats, unemployment fraud has jumped another 11 percent year-over-year. One would think perhaps someone in the federal government who has the responsibility to administer the program might actually do something about it.
But nope.
“We don’t think this is mostly about fraud—we think it’s a lack of clarity of understanding what eligibility is,” Jane Oates, Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Administration at the Department of Labor, told the Times.
Tortured words and tortured reasoning for not enforcing the law just leads to more crime and encourages people to steal.
Rob Mitchell wrote: Perfect example of conservative truth distortion. Nowhere in fact is Pelosi advocating for benefits for convicted murderers. I hope they do not pay you to write this stuff.- in response to How Stimulating: Unemployment Benefits for Murderers
Dear Comrade Rob,
Why yes I do get paid to write this stuff. I’m guessing that you are wondering how to tax it. The Stamp Act has already been tried. But hey: Maybe Democrats can bring it back and just call it a fee? Three cheers for King Obama!
Pelosi doesn’t have to advocate for convicted murders to get unemployment. They already collect the benefit according to the example cited above. And why wouldn’t they? The “Clarity of Understanding” training that they’ll make these gang-bangers go through as punishment probably won’t be much of a deterrent to people who make a living breaking the law.
If Pelosi advocated policies that forced us all to live with our doors and windows wide open, I’m guessing crime would go up. And when it did, you wouldn’t just blame the criminals, but rather you’d blame the people who made our property and families unsafe to begin with ala Fancy Nancy...."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Aspen Times/Chris King "Enough of the political pandering"
There were a number of factors that brought 'SandBox Nanny' to her final decision on whether to take up the idea regional avatars came up with of creating a hub for uncensored yet moderated commentary on local, regional, national and world news.
It has been a long trek trying to get someone (anyone) to ask the question of what the final deciding factor was. Who knows, maybe eventually someone will get around to asking instead of speculating. Imagine a world where direct-to-source information truly exists. Why, it is safe to speculate we would have a world with far fewer issues, eh?
One of the reasons for agreeing to the experiment of 'SandBoxBlogs' was to grow the ability to tie various patterns of what 'community knowledge' (talk, gossip, group debates, forums, etc. etc.) holds in information that is needed in the public eye into what the news media actually prints and projects to the public.
One of the more interesting results of that effort has been the sound of seldom raised in public voices.
As said many times before, local gossip mongers would be stunned at 'who' and 'what' is brought forward in 'anonymous' commentary. Proof that it is not the method of delivery but the information itself that is relevant. Imagine a world where we had authorities such as cops, prosecutors, lawmakers, judges, presidents and kings that listened to the information direct from source itself and then just simply did their own job and no one else's scope of work.
Just maybe, we might end up with systems of balance and justice instead of high-tech media lynchings, wars and politics that sway all things within the lives of the common folk.
One of the strongest statements that is also repeated continually in avatar commentary, claims that 'if I want to be publicly known, I will be. If I want to be a politician, I will become one.' Simplistically stated, what 'SandBox Nanny' hears these commentators 'just sayin' is that they are in charge of where their vote goes. That they are doing the electing or hiring of cops, prosecutors, lawmakers, judges, presidents and sometimes kings to do the job that office holds. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Today's local news patterns reveal a thread that crosses the ocean to the UK, bounces off the hallowed halls of the United States Senate and involve the politics of a president, a local prosecutor, a senator, one of the most powerful (and undeniably softly corrupt if you really get into the world of so-called non-profit organizations) lobbyist groups in the world and a number of issues such as women's rights and energy development.
To start off the posting of that pattern, 'SandBox Nanny' is going to toss up the guest opinion of Chris King. Up on the Aspen Times. Then follow that up with a thought provoking column by John Ransom, somewhere out there on Town Hall.
Happy Sunday, everybody. Make it a good week out there.
Chris King:
"When politicians ask us to “leave politics out” of any government activity, we must suspect that we are being hosed. For wherever legislation and tax money are involved, so is politics. It is already in. And it should be. Good government requires constant citizen input and oversight, which is, in effect, “politics.”
Thus in the recent Aspen Times guest opinion by two Democratic senators, the title, “Take politics out of women's health care,” promises a double hosing (Feb. 29). Being superb politicians, these twain do not disappoint.
The title itself misstates the issue, which they only pretend to address. It's not really “health care.” More specifically they aim to defend Obama's new mandate, which rewards political supporters at the expense of the Bill of Rights. Specifically, it requires all employers, including church groups, to cover health plans that include birth control and abortifacients, thus forbidding employers' free exercise of religion, the very first freedom specified in the First Amendment.
Such a power grab might once have bothered the American Left, but not today. After all, when you run the government, why care about a few dissenters? Benefits trump fundamental rights. So stuff their freedom of conscience. They're a minority anyway. What's the big deal? What constitution? Benefits, man! They should shut up and get in line...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
It has been a long trek trying to get someone (anyone) to ask the question of what the final deciding factor was. Who knows, maybe eventually someone will get around to asking instead of speculating. Imagine a world where direct-to-source information truly exists. Why, it is safe to speculate we would have a world with far fewer issues, eh?
One of the reasons for agreeing to the experiment of 'SandBoxBlogs' was to grow the ability to tie various patterns of what 'community knowledge' (talk, gossip, group debates, forums, etc. etc.) holds in information that is needed in the public eye into what the news media actually prints and projects to the public.
One of the more interesting results of that effort has been the sound of seldom raised in public voices.
As said many times before, local gossip mongers would be stunned at 'who' and 'what' is brought forward in 'anonymous' commentary. Proof that it is not the method of delivery but the information itself that is relevant. Imagine a world where we had authorities such as cops, prosecutors, lawmakers, judges, presidents and kings that listened to the information direct from source itself and then just simply did their own job and no one else's scope of work.
Just maybe, we might end up with systems of balance and justice instead of high-tech media lynchings, wars and politics that sway all things within the lives of the common folk.
One of the strongest statements that is also repeated continually in avatar commentary, claims that 'if I want to be publicly known, I will be. If I want to be a politician, I will become one.' Simplistically stated, what 'SandBox Nanny' hears these commentators 'just sayin' is that they are in charge of where their vote goes. That they are doing the electing or hiring of cops, prosecutors, lawmakers, judges, presidents and sometimes kings to do the job that office holds. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Today's local news patterns reveal a thread that crosses the ocean to the UK, bounces off the hallowed halls of the United States Senate and involve the politics of a president, a local prosecutor, a senator, one of the most powerful (and undeniably softly corrupt if you really get into the world of so-called non-profit organizations) lobbyist groups in the world and a number of issues such as women's rights and energy development.
To start off the posting of that pattern, 'SandBox Nanny' is going to toss up the guest opinion of Chris King. Up on the Aspen Times. Then follow that up with a thought provoking column by John Ransom, somewhere out there on Town Hall.
Happy Sunday, everybody. Make it a good week out there.
Chris King:
"When politicians ask us to “leave politics out” of any government activity, we must suspect that we are being hosed. For wherever legislation and tax money are involved, so is politics. It is already in. And it should be. Good government requires constant citizen input and oversight, which is, in effect, “politics.”
Thus in the recent Aspen Times guest opinion by two Democratic senators, the title, “Take politics out of women's health care,” promises a double hosing (Feb. 29). Being superb politicians, these twain do not disappoint.
The title itself misstates the issue, which they only pretend to address. It's not really “health care.” More specifically they aim to defend Obama's new mandate, which rewards political supporters at the expense of the Bill of Rights. Specifically, it requires all employers, including church groups, to cover health plans that include birth control and abortifacients, thus forbidding employers' free exercise of religion, the very first freedom specified in the First Amendment.
Such a power grab might once have bothered the American Left, but not today. After all, when you run the government, why care about a few dissenters? Benefits trump fundamental rights. So stuff their freedom of conscience. They're a minority anyway. What's the big deal? What constitution? Benefits, man! They should shut up and get in line...." (Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
SandBoxBlogs: Summit County Citizens Voice "Morning photo: Planet Earth"
All photo credit: NASA (via Bob Berwyn and Summit County Citizens Voice)
Bob Berwyn:
"SUMMIT COUNTY — I’m constantly amazed by the stream of visual information coming from the many satellites orbiting the Earth, and every time I see a particularly cool image, I think to myself that it adds just another tiny piece to the puzzle of understanding how we as humans fit into the greater cosmic scheme. Even for me, as a non-scientist, the exposure to the images helps be “get” how atmospheric systems work and how land, water and the sky are really all part of the same system. That’s why I’m breaking tradition today, by running a short set of satellite images instead of Summit Voice shots. Visit the NASA Earth Observatory online or follow on Twitter to get a feed of images...." (See all images? Read more? Click title)
Bob Berwyn:
"SUMMIT COUNTY — I’m constantly amazed by the stream of visual information coming from the many satellites orbiting the Earth, and every time I see a particularly cool image, I think to myself that it adds just another tiny piece to the puzzle of understanding how we as humans fit into the greater cosmic scheme. Even for me, as a non-scientist, the exposure to the images helps be “get” how atmospheric systems work and how land, water and the sky are really all part of the same system. That’s why I’m breaking tradition today, by running a short set of satellite images instead of Summit Voice shots. Visit the NASA Earth Observatory online or follow on Twitter to get a feed of images...." (See all images? Read more? Click title)
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