Thursday, December 31, 2015

bad judges = no justice

Family questions sentence 'affluenza' judge gave their teen

The same judge who sentenced a 16 yr. old with court-appointed lawyer to 20 years in prison for killing one person DUI sentences 16 year old "affluenza" Ethan Couch, who killed four people DUI, to 10 years probation. This is NOT equal justice under the law! The judge may not be "a bad person"; but, the judge is a bad judge--making a mockery of our justice system.





Friday, December 25, 2015

Now I lay me down to sleep

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I die before I awake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Amen.

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Dalene Bowden Fund

Dalene Bowden, Idaho Cafeteria Worker Fired Over Hungry Student's Free Meal, Offered Job Back - NBC News
  1. Fire the supervisor. 
  2. Reward Ms. Bowden.
  3. Start a "Dalene Bowden Fund" for Ms. Bowden to use, at her discretion, to pay for school lunches for students that she deems worthy.
I'll be the first to contribute.





Saturday, December 19, 2015

Congressman says that visa for terrorist was "sloppily approved"

Congressman: Tashfeen Malik's Visa Was 'Sloppily Approved' | The Daily Caller 

"Immigration law requires that a U.S. citizen — such as the Chicago-born Farook — must have met their foreign national fiancĂ©e in person before applying for the visa — a measure which is meant to prove that the relationship is sincere.

But according to Goodlatte, it is not clear from Malik’s immigration file that she and Farook fulfilled the requirement. The couple reportedly met online and were married in Aug. 2014 in Riverside, Calif., but the visa dates on their passports do not indicate that they were in the same country at the same time prior to filing for the K-1.

“Malik’s immigration file does not show sufficient evidence for this requirement,” Goodlatte said in a statement. “What is worse, the immigration official reviewing Malik’s application requested more evidence to ensure the two met in person but it was never provided and her visa was approved anyway.”


"... sloppily approved ..."??? 

the federal government???

"sloppy" like the Secret Service, IRS, Post Office, education, transportation, government procurement and just about every other function that government performs???

go figure.









Thursday, December 17, 2015

moral authority

Definition:

moral authority

(of a person, institution, or written work) 

"The quality or characteristic of being respected for having good character or knowledge, especially as a source of guidance or an exemplar of proper conduct."


example: Moral authority is what the Catholic church doesn't have because of its numerous scandals; and, failures of church hierarchy to address them adequately, e.g., coverups.









political parties

I’ve Had Just About Enough Of You Two | YouViewed/Editorial




Monday, December 14, 2015

demons

25 Bible verses about Jesus Casting Out Demons 

"DEVIL/DEMON: A fallen angel, who sinned against God by refusing to accept his reign. Satan or the devil, the Evil One, and the other demons were at first good angels, created naturally good, who became evil by their own doing (3911707; cf. 2851)." 
http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/catechism-of-the-catholic-church/epub/OEBPS/51-glossary.xhtml#devil







Sunday, December 13, 2015

Geology--Conway Robinson State Forest, Gainesville, VA

This diabase (dolerite, volcanic basalt) is on one of the trails at Conway Robinson State Forest In Gainesville VA. pristine. hundreds of millions of years old. awesome.

Conway Robinson State Forest- Diabase

"Almost all of the quarries in Northern Virginia (except the granite quarry near Occoquan) are excavating the diabase and crushing it to the desired sizes, before mixing the rock with cement/sand to form concrete - or with asphalt, for road pavement. The photo shows the diabase quarry located behind Stonewall Jackson HS in Manassas VA."  

Tectonic History of Northern Virginia 

www.virginiaplaces.org/nova/graphics/vulcanmanassas.jpg






geology






Sunday, November 29, 2015

"politically motivated"?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/no-more-baby-parts-suspect-in-attack-at-colo-planned-parenthood-clinic-told-official/2015/11/28/e842b2cc-961e-11e5-8aa0-5d0946560a97_story.html

"The attack on the clinic, allegedly by Robert Lewis Dear Jr., was 'definitely politically motivated,’ said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity..."

"politically motivated"? please. is everything "politically motivated", as some would have us believe? what about "insanely motivated" or "morally motivated with an insane sense of right and wrong"?





Saturday, November 21, 2015

Merry Winter Solstice

For all those who are offended by Christians and by the word "Christmas", if I had my way, then I'd declare you the winners. 

I agree with you--let's not call it "Christmas" any more. Let's call December 25 "Winter Holiday" or "Santa Claus Day" or, since some will argue that the origin of Santa Claus is Christian, call it "Gift Giving Day" instead. ("Indulgence Day" would be a better description; but then, there are those who will argue that this too has a Christian connotation.) 

Let those few Christians who celebrate Christmas in remembrance of the day that their Savior was born celebrate it in Peace.






Friday, November 20, 2015

Galileo

Columbus discovered that the earth is round by observing sailing ships slowly disappearing (bottom to top) over the horizon. Galileo, discovered that the earth rotates and orbits around the sun by observing tides and the stars.

Galileo Galilei - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia







Thursday, November 19, 2015

sympathizes with terrorists

Does anyone really believe that there's a lick of difference between the two? 
 




John Kerry 
Hillary Clinton 
terrorists 
terrorism 





Monday, November 9, 2015

witness tree

Yesterday while walking the trail in the southwest corner of the 5,000 acre Manassas National Battlefield Park ("Stuart's Hill"), we saw a sign marked "witness tree". This morning, after searching "witness tree" on the internet, we know, as Paul Harvey used to say, "the rest of the story."



Friday, November 6, 2015

Monday, November 2, 2015

"the indifferences by which He is offended"

"Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly, and I offer You the Most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. And by the infinite merits of His most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg the conversion of poor sinners."
Fatima prayer to the Holy Trinity

Is God offended by idle talk in the sanctuary? by those who should know better? by seniors who engage in long, loud conversations about friends, golf, shopping, restaurants, etc.? (Some of whom position themselves between those kneeling in prayer and the tabernacle.)

Sadly, I witness this regularly.






Friday, October 23, 2015

Corrupt two-party system

Neither party is viable--both are corrupt. It's way past time to start over. No Republicans, no Democrats, no lobbyists, no PACs, no expensive TV ads... No political parties--just candidates simply presenting their positions on line (e.g., League of Women Voters) one month before the election--a single document with a 10 page limit; and, voters who can think on their own. ... Wait a minute!!! "Voters who can think on their own"?!? Who am I kidding???




source: (More Crony Media) How the press works to keep the 2 (really 1?) party system in power (Video) | AgainstCronyCapitalism.org

"We have met the enemy and he is us."



If you think that crony capitalism is bad with the two-party system, then you need to look at crony capitalism in places where they have a one-party system--like Montgomery County MD



Libertarian 

crony capitalism 
Silver Spring Transit Center 
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 
Montgomery County MD 
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) 
Federal Transit Administration 
news media 
Purple Line 
Gov. Hogan 



Thursday, October 22, 2015

Amazing!

Even in the city, and even with the naked eye, on a cloudless night, the sky is full of lights. Some lights are relatively close—manmade--airplanes, helicopters, satellites. There's our moon. Some are other planets and moons in our own solar system. Some are comets, meteors and asteroids. Most are a few of the 300 billion stars in our own galaxy, the Milky Way. Light from other of the more distant estimated 100 billion galaxies in the universe, each with an estimated average of 100 billion stars per galaxy, can take millions of light years to get to us. 

Take a look--it's amazing!







Wednesday, October 21, 2015

common sense

Villanova University Announces Changes to Its Public Safety Department

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Benjamin Franklin 

This country needs more common sense solutions to problems.



Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Andrew Higgins

many of this country's greatest engineers are those without engineering degrees--Higgins, Edison, the Wright Bros. (my favorites), etc.

another Higgins anecdote: Early during WWII when the Navy asked Higgins to come up with a new design for a landing craft that could carry a tank, Higgins did so. no blueprints. He built the boat and delivered it to the Navy--61 hours after the Navy made their request!

and another: Higgins demanded that the Navy reopen negotiations on a contract which had already been signed. He insisted that the contract price be reduced, because he felt that his profit was too high.

and another: In 1943 Higgins had more than 20,000 employees, including women and African Americans whose wages were the same as white men. In 1943 the US Navy had an inventory of over 14,000 boats and ships--almost 13,000 (92%) were boats designed or built by Higgins Industries.





Saturday, October 3, 2015

simple truths

after considerable thought, and going from one side to the other, and not being a gun owner myself, I have come to the conclusion that tougher gun laws are not the answer. VA Tech, Columbine, Ft. Hood, Newtown, Oregon, etc--it all comes down to the last line of defense--kill or be killed. If one person with a gun in any of these mass shootings had taken the terrorist out, then lives would have been saved. A terrorist is a terrorist--domestic or foreign, sane or not.

During his homily a month or so ago Fr. Gould (pastor, St. John the Evangelist in Warrenton) mentioned how the sheriff asked to meet with local pastors following Charleston. When two black pastors were asked what they were going to do, they said "We're going to arm our congregation". Fr. Gould found that surprising. I don't find it surprising at all.

"I solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, so help me God." 

oath taken by members of Congress and commissioned military personnel. 

The last line of defense from those who murder innocent citizens is to take out the terrorist(s), foreign or domestic. It's called "self-defense". The right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", as well as the right to defend ourselves against enemies foreign and domestic, are clearly spelled out in our founding documents and in common law. 

(BTW, those in Washington DC, Chicago and other locations who shoot and kill anyone, including innocent children, in drive-by shootings are domestic terrorists.)

60 years ago grade school children were taught to crouch under their desks in the event of a nuclear bomb. Look around. Government can't pass laws that will make you safe. Every day could be your last. If you don't have anything more than government to cling to, then you've got nothing.



Saturday, September 26, 2015

the last chapter

(I don't know how many autobiographies are written last chapter first.) 


http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kansas/carryonwaywardson.html

We've arrived. After leaving South Carolina three and a half years ago, and moving again three more times, we've finally arrived. We're home.

Jenny and I are in the place that we want to be. It's much larger and spacious than I would have expected an apartment to be. All of our furniture fits nicely, including the 60-inch flat screen TV that we picked up along the way from Culpeper to here. 

It has a balcony that is no more than 100 feet from 444-acre Conway Robinson State Forest. I love looking down from our balcony to birds in the tops of trees below!

It has this fantastic "conservatory". Even though I know the word, I never knew what it really meant until my son-in-law Tim told me--"room of light". From this corner room with its huge windows on two sides all we see are trees, and a small pond with a fountain--a pristine oasis of serenity in a most unexpected place--a major urban interchange and development around it.

...





Friday, August 28, 2015

right on!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjgJWqxUyTc


If you have:
  • unsafe drinking water
  • an unclean environment
  • inefficient transportation
then blame a politician, public-private partnerships, crony capitalism and those who support the them. 

Be informed! THINK! 

or blame yourself.


silver spring transit center




Silver Spring Transit Center 
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 
Montgomery County MD 
public-private partnership 
crony capitalism 
WMATA 
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) 
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 
Purple Line 
Gov. Hogan 





Friday, August 14, 2015

traffic

Innovative design aims to alleviate traffic congestion in Haymarket - WTOP

1. Can't put 10 pounds of stuff into a 5 pound-bag. 
2. Can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.



Haymarket VA 
I-66 interchange 
Route 15 
Route 55 
sprawl & crawl 
traffic congestion 



Saturday, August 8, 2015

Is there a worse run operation in the world?

DC Metro Actually Giving Riders Refunds For Poor Service | The Daily Caller

Other than government in general, the answer is NO.



It was also announced yesterday that Metro's 2014 fiscal report, due more than nine months ago, has finally been released. Metro's deficit spending over the last several years is in the order of $1 BILLION.




Washington DC Metro 
WMATA 
Silver Spring Transit Center 
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 
silverspringtransitcenter.blogspot.com 
Montgomery County MD
public-private partnership 
crony capitalism 
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) 
Purple Line 
Gov. Hogan 








Thursday, August 6, 2015

Helluva way to run a railroad

http://wtop.com/local/2015/08/three-metro-lines-suspended-in-downtown-d-c/slide/1/

This is what happens when politicians run a railroad. Not even 50 years old, Metro was once the pride of DC & vicinity. Now it’s a blight—crumbling, poorly run and dangerous. When Metro’s engineers appeared before Montgomery County’s council and told them that future maintenance and operations costs for the seriously flawed, unopened, overdue and over-budget Silver Spring Transit Center were going to be extraordinarily high, they were scoffed at. Metro’s GM at the time scoffed at his own engineers telling Montgomery County’s politicians not to worry—that Metro will operate and maintain the transit center. This, and Metro’s abysmal operations and safety record, is why Metro has no credibility. It’s a helluva way to run a railroad.





WMATA 
Washington DC Metro 
Federal Transit Administration (FTA) 
Silver Spring Transit Center 
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 
Montgomery County MD 

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

such a deal!

Silver Spring Transit Center may open by fall after all - The Washington Post

Waldstein
8/4/2015 10:59 PM EDT

Metro dropped their requirement for $15 million? Why? Somebody clearly cut a deal behind the scenes. Let the falling concrete begin.

peretired
6:07 AM EDT

It's a deal alright; but, it isn't a new deal--it's the same old deal that was in place when Montgomery County chose their private sector buddies to design, build and inspect the SSTC (public-private partnership), instead of the normal open competition that takes place with most public works projects. It's the same hand that's always dealt to taxpayers--politics wins; and in return, we taxpayers get a "monumental debacle", and get to pay for "repairs" and high future maintenance costs as well. Such a deal! Besides, in addition to being a "dealer" itself, Metro has too many problems of its own to stand up to Montgomery County.




Silver Spring Transit Center 
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 
Montgomery County MD 
public-private partnership 
crony capitalism 
WMATA 
Federal Highway Administration (FTA) 
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) 
Purple Line 
Gov. Hogan 




Monday, July 27, 2015

The stupidity of American voters

Hillary Clinton Pledges to Install 500 Million Solar Panels if Voted President | TIME


Hillary Clinton 
Democrat 
liberal 
economy 
government spending 
taxes 
government waste 
2016 election 
vote 
Silver Spring Transit Center 
public-private partnership 
silverspringtransitcenter.blogspot.com 
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center 
Purple Line 
Montgomery County MD  






Saturday, July 18, 2015

Homily gibberish from Catholic priests

What is it about some Catholic priests who don't put a lick of preparation into their Sunday homilies? Who go on-and-on talking irrelevant nonsense--who talk down to their congregation.

"my sister in law got notified by the credit card company that someone had fraudulently charged to her account. ... pray the breviary so that you can connect with Catholics who lived millenia ago. ... Listen! ... you need to focus! ..." 

clueless; totally clueless. 

one day a week--Sunday. your homily. your feeding the flock. and you don't have the time to prepare it beforehand? It's your job! DO IT!

  • No, Father, it's you who needs to listen.
  • It's you who needs to focus
  • Focus on your job. 
  • Focus on your weekly homily. 
  • Prepare for it in advance (DUH!). 
  • Stop talking gibberish
  • Stop rambling. 
  • Say something intelligent for a change.


Wednesday, July 8, 2015

missing something

Judge Dismisses Purple Line Advocates’ Lawsuit Against Town of Chevy Chase - Bethesda Beat

World peace? Eradicate hunger & poverty? Save the environment? Passion for these is understandable. But, a 16-mile rail line in the burbs with dubious ridership projections and a $2.5 billion initial price tag (before the first shovel is turned)? What am I missing here?





Purple Line
Montgomery County MD
Prince George's County MD
Chevy Chase MD
WMATA
public-private partnership
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)
Silver Spring Transit Center
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center
Gov. Hogan





Monday, July 6, 2015

a drop in the bucket

http://wamu.org/news/15/07/03/prince_georges_and_montgomery_counties_work_to_bring_down_purple_lines_price_tag

$50 million is just 2% of the current projected cost for the Purple Line ($2.5 billion). We all know what happens to the cost after the project begins--just look at the Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership. What's needed is a Gov. Hogan type to cut the federal portion of the project, which would give the rest of us in the other 49 states and US territories a break. Frankly though, after the Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership debacle, we all deserve a break from public-private partnerships altogether.




R M-S, What is your source? According to the Federal Highway Administration (Office of Highway Policy Information - Policy | Federal Highway Administration) the cumulative ratio of HTF apportionments and allocations to payments from 1956 to 2011 for Maryland is 1.24 and for Virginia is 1.11. Virginia receives less than Maryland, not more. (Go to the Federal Highway Administration website. Search "FE-221". The 1.24 and 1.11 above are for 2011. There is a more recent report for 1956 to 2013. The cumulative ratios for Maryland and Virginia from 1956 thru 2013 are 1.23 and 1.12 respectively. While the ratios are slightly different than from 2011, Virginia receives less return for their payments than Maryland.)

Yeah Right, As a federal taxpayer (and METRO patron), I "sweat" wasteful spending, e.g. the Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership. I "sweat" wasting more public money on the Purple Line PPP before the public knows how and why the Silver Spring Transit Center PPP failed so poorly. This begins with knowing what'$ behind the non-competitive $election of the private firm$ that were $elected for the $TC. I would expect my local friends in MD, as well as my friends from here to the west coast, to be equally concerned if a local county politician from VA picked his private political friends to design, build or inspect a public works project that turned out to be a waste of their federal taxes.


Purple Line
public-private partnership
Montgomery County MD
Prince George's County MD
Gov. Hogan
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)
WMATA
Silver Spring Transit Center
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center

Office of Highway Policy Information - Policy | Federal Highway Administration




Thursday, July 2, 2015

Maryland's Purple Line winners & losers

Maryland's Purple Line: The Winners and Losers

"also BIG $ winners: developers, public-private partnership partners (politicians, private engineering firms, private contractors) 
also BIG $ losers: taxpayers (federal, state & local)
a draw? no. BIG $ always wins; taxpayers always lose."




Purple Line
Montgomery Co. MD
Prince George's Co. MD
public private partnership
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)
Gov. Hogan
Silver Spring Transit Center
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center



Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Is the pot calling the kettle black?

The governor’s Purple Line call was cynical, not nonpartisan - The Washington Post

Cynical? Yes--this letter to the editor is cynical. 

Larry Hogan is a Republican governor in a Democratic state. Despite the overwhelming odds of a Republican governor being elected in Maryland, Hogan won the election. Why? According to the author of this letter to the editor, because Gov. Hogan is a racist. Now that's cynical!

The truth is that many Democrats in MD voted for Gov. Hogan because of his platform. He ran on the premise that government spending and taxes are too high in Maryland--that state government needs to lower both to attract businesses. Businesses mean jobs. Jobs mean economic growth--more government revenue because of a large base, not a high tax rate.

During his campaign Gov. Hogan promised to take a hard look at wasteful spending--like the $2.45 BILLION Montgomery & Prince George's Counties' Purple Line and Baltimore's Red Line. He promised to reduce their cost or eliminate them altogether. That's just what Gov. Hogan has done. He's done what he promised to do during his campaign--and what got him elected. In doing so, Gov. Hogan is a racist. Now that's REALLY the pot calling the kettle black!





Monday, June 29, 2015

chastisement

Chastisement | Define Chastisement at Dictionary.com

Last Friday the US Supreme Court ruled that same sex marriages are legal in the US. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops is outraged. Supreme Court Decision on Marriage “A Tragic Error” Says President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference

The Supreme Court's decision is a tragic one for many older "cradle Catholics". At a young age we were taught that marriage is a sacrament--a sacred covenant between a man and a woman blessed by God. We were taught that marriage, or matrimony, is part of God's plan for procreating humanity--God's creatures "creating" other humans in harmony with the Creator Himself. We were taught "What God has joined together let no man put asunder." Mark 10 6-9, Matthew 19 4-6

The problem is that with the horrible scandals in the Catholic Church (priests sexually abusing minors, higherups covering it up, Vatican bank, debauchery in seminaries, etc.) that the Catholic Church has lost its credibility as a moral leader. It's pure hypocrisy for the Catholic Church to point its finger at the evildoings of others when the Church is guilty of grave evildoing itself.

Perhaps the US Supreme Court's ruling is God's chastisement of His Church for its sins. Regardless, the redefinition of marriage in our society is difficult for many cradle Catholics to take.



Saturday, June 27, 2015

wishful thinking

Prince George's County Exec: No new money for Purple Line - WTOP

Give Baker credit for understanding that when the state reduces its contribution from $700 million to $168 million that the counties can't make up the difference. Don't give him credit for his wishful thinking that the Purple Line is going to get built anyway.


However, there's an even bigger issue that needs to be addressed. 
Why, on the heels of the "monumental debacle" Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership, would one use the same, failed, public-private partnership model to build the Purple Line? To do so would be insanity.

Instead of allowing politicians to noncompetitively select their private business buddies to build public works projects that cost all taxpayers billions, and end up poorly managed, severely flawed and grossly overbudget and overdue, like the Silver Spring Transit Center, why not go back to the tried and true methods of the past where private businesses are selected competitively to build expensive public works projects? To do otherwise is insane

Prince Georges County MD
Montgomery County MD
Hogan
public-private partnership
Silver Spring Transit Center
Paul S. Sarbanes Transit Center
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Maryland Transit Administration (MTA)
WMATA






Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Manager of the year candidates

David Dise, Montgomery County MD Department of General Services director, for Silver Spring Transit Center project/construction management. Despite the facts that the Silver Spring Transit Center's construction is severely flawed and grossly overbudget and overdue (the SSTC is undergoing "repairs", but hasn't opened to the public yet), Mr. Dise has repeatedly assured the public that "the SSTC will absolutely be safe". In addition to his nomination as manager of the year, Mr. Dise is also nominated for seer of the year. 
https://www.ignet.gov/sites/default/files/files/FAEC-Presentation-Project-Management-Deficiencies-in-Constructing-the-SSTC.pdf 

Richard Sarles, recently retired WMATA general manager. For METRO's abysmal safety, operations, maintenance, financial and service records. 

Acting FTA administrator Therese McMillan, for FTA's hypocritical criticism of WMATA while promoting public-private partnerships that shift responsibility/accountability from the public sector, where it belongs, to the private sector. On the heels of the "monumental debacle" Silver Spring Transit Center public-private partnership, both the FTA and MTA are promoting the $2.45 BILLION Purple Line public-private partnership--a GREAT example of fleecing the public (taxpayers), and poor management. 




Manager of the year