Tag Archives: News

Knives For Sale On The Boardwalk

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The local weekly newspaper, The Maryland Coast Dispatch, published a long interview with Ocean City Police Chief Ross Buzzuro, beginning on page 8 in the Aug. 30, 2013 edition. It’s well worth a read.

Chief Buzzuro’s comments on one particular issue touched a nerve with me:

“We talk about beer bongs, underage drinking, explicit T-shirts and there are still merchants that sell knives. Why does anyone need to sell knives on the Boardwalk? They are not Swiss Army knives by the way, just for clarification.”

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Peace Now

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Today would be a good day for the president and the people of America to make a decision for peace.

Use of chemical weapons in Syria was evil and inhumane. Use of chemical weapons resulted in human death and suffering.

To respond by missile attacks against Syria would result in more human death and suffering. Where is the logic?

President Barack Obama will be pilloried if he chooses peace and not war. But good leaders must make the right decision without regard for the political consequences.

— post originally published 8-31-2013

Chris and Kathleen Matthews Show Gets the Hook

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Three days experimentation with a Chris and Kathleen Matthews show was enough. The results are in. Thursday, Chris Matthews is flying solo as he wraps up a week filling in for Andrea Mitchell at 1 p.m. He’s smiling broadly and asking his patented long-winded questions. Still on is MSNBC’s plan to air the Chris Matthews Show exclusively at 7 p.m. That’s MSNBC and Chris Matthews opposite CNN and Erin Burnett, starting Monday.

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Chris Matthews Lineup Shakeup At MSNBC News

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English: Chris Matthews at the 2010 Time 100.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Big drama at MSNBC this week.  Will Chris Matthews be co-hosting “Hardball” with his wife, Kathleen Matthews, who is both a TV news pro and also spokes-meister for Marriott Corporation?  Continue reading →

Uncertainty

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“It’s been great co-hosting the show with my husband. We will see you — I think? — again tomorrow.”    — Kathleen Matthews, with Chris Matthews.  Is this a tryout for a new “Hardball?”

Sequestration In America, Dancing On Wall Street, Pain In Maryland And Virginia

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As I write this on Tuesday, the Dow-Jones Index has hit an all-time high. It’s historic! Higher than the last record, set in 2007.

Sequestration, which I call Austerity, took effect on Friday.

Devastating economic pain is predicted throughout America, although some exaggeration is baked into the “sky-is-falling” rhetoric.

Exaggeration or no exaggeration, economic growth has been sluggish. Sequestration of $85 billion in federal spending will slow the economy even more.   Continue reading →

The Truth About Sequestration And Democracy, According to One Humble American

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“Sequestration” went into effect in America this week, reducing U.S. government spending by $85 billion.

What does it mean? It means that the United States has accepted “Austerity.” 

It’s not the end of the world. The vast majority of U.S. government spending will continue as usual. The government will not grind to a halt, at least not because of sequestration. It’s still possible that Congress could force a shut-down of government sometime in the future, but not likely this year.

Failure of Government Decision-making

Most interestingly, Austerity was NOT imposed by the normal processes of legislative or executive action.  Continue reading →

Mary Corey, Editor Of The Baltimore Sun

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Mary Corey, leader of The Baltimore Sun newsroom, died Tuesday of breast cancer. She was 49.

Ms. Corey had worked at the newspaper since graduating from college. She rose through the ranks as a reporter and editor. In 2010, she was appointed to the newspaper’s top editorial position, directing both print and online editions.

An obituary may be found in today’s editions of The Sun.

Can A Ship Sail Right Over The Edge Of The Earth?

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“The U.S no longer has a well-functioning self-government. . . .  American democracy has been hacked. The United States Congress, the avatar of the democratically elected national legislatures in the modern world, is now incapable of passing laws without permission from the corporate lobbies and other special interests that control their campaign finances.” 

The above quote is from Al Gore’s new book, “The Future.” It makes sobering reading as the U.S. ship of state drifts, apparently rudderless, toward “sequestration.” Is the bridge abandoned? Have the helm and the engine room broken down?

I don’t understand the panic over sequestration, but I am concerned about the ability of U.S. government institutions to function. Continue reading →

Is It Economic Contagion? Or Only the Flu?

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NOT TO WORRY. IT'S ONLY A BAD DREAM. THIS WALMART WAS BOARDED UP AS A PRECAUTION BEFORE HURRICANE IRENE A FEW YEARS BACK. -- John Hayden photo

NOT TO WORRY. IT’S ONLY A BAD DREAM. THIS WALMART WAS BOARDED UP AS A PRECAUTION BEFORE HURRICANE IRENE A FEW YEARS BACK. — John Hayden photo

February sales are a “total disaster” for Walmart? That’s what the cable news channels report. It must be a slow-news Saturday. Sounds to me like a desperate stretch for a headline. The month is barely half over!

You say Europe is in recession?  Fuh-get about it! Europe is peanuts. Europe went out with the 20th century. Get over Europe, already!  Walmart — now we’re talking important.

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