Another City Murder

This just in. Annapolis has just suffered its 7th murder of the year.  After an all to brief lull, the bullets are out again with deadly force.

On September 13th at approximately 12:30 AM, Annapolis Police Dispatch received reports of shots fired in the area of Janwall Street and Tyler Avenue.


Officers found two occupants of a car, a male and a female, who were suffering from gunshot wounds. The male was pronounced dead on the scene. The female was taken to Shock - Trauma in Baltimore and was last known to be in critical but stable condition.


There is no motive or suspect information available at this time. The names of the victims are being withheld pending family notifications and a suitable time of adjustment. Further information will be released as is appropriate and available.

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John Travolta in Annapolis Buying A Boat

CP cannot confirm but has it from a reliable source that Hollywood Celebrity (uggh) John Travolta is in Annapolis because he has purchased a sailboat--apparently a French-built Jenneau. Did I spell that right? Why in the world would this mega millionaire who owns and pilots a Boeing 747 buy such a lousy boat? Oh well. Hey John--I loved ya in Grease and what was that other film...oh yeah Pulp Fiction!!! So, if youze need a boat captain, call me. And yeah, I dig scientology too...Rumor has it that the boat is named Ella Blue or some such thing.

BTW, Eric Clapton has long been rumored to be the owner of a steel yacht often anchoring here called Blue Guitar. Hmmm... Ella Blue....Blue Guitar....wuddevah.

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Pearls of Wisdom from Tony McConkey

While he was being convicted in a court in Maryland for violating a law he helped to write, CLICK:mcconkey Delegate Tony McConkey was at the GOP Convention in Minneapolis/St Paul. There, he and other folks took umbrage at media coverage concerning Sarah Palin's unborn Bast, er I mean illegitimate grandchild...or fetus...depending on where you stand.

Politicker Maryland reports that the MD Republicans call media spotlight harmful to Palin's future grandchild!! CLICK: grandchild

Here is what voluntarily disbarred lawyer Tony McConkey said:

"It's hilarious -- the Democrats -- they feel that they can't be held to any standard because they don't believe in any morals. They don't preach any morals so they can't be held to any standard," he said. "Yet they want to hold Republicans to a higher standard."

I can't speak for Democrats Tony, but I sure do want to hold elected officials to a higher standard. And I really hate it when self-righteous hypocrites such as you and Sarah Palin preach morals...and set such bad examples yourself. I am gonna be sick.


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Buy Local/Buy Local/BuyLocal/Buy Local

Support your locally owned and operated businesses. Check out the Annapolis Sustainable Business Alliance at
Annapolis First/


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Please Register to Vote

Since CP is such a powerful force in media, Barack Obama sent me this personal letter today. It is non-partisan. It is about registering to vote. This should not be construed as an endorsement for Barack Obama. If Mr. McCain sends me a personal note, I'll publish it as well....if it is non-partisan.
___________________

Paul --

Help your friends Vote for Change You'd be surprised by how many people you know who aren't registered to vote.

Registration deadlines are coming up soon, and we need every single vote we can get to win this election. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors to check out our new one-stop voter registration website.

Just forward this message.

VoteforChange.com makes it easier than ever to register. Instead of tracking down the right forms, all you need to do is answer a few basic questions and you'll be ready to vote. You can also:

* Confirm your existing registration
* Apply to vote absentee
* Find your polling place

If you don't know your own registration status or you'd like to learn more, take a minute to visit the site right now.This race is too close and too important to stay home on Election Day.

If you take the time to register and vote -- and make sure everyone you know is registered as well -- we'll be able to turn the tide of the past eight years.
It's people just like you who will transform this nation.

Thanks,

Barack

(CP NOTE: That part about turning the tide is a meteorological and nautical reference specifically for Annapolitans...)

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From Today's Police Beat Report

Another example of why we all must constantly be aware of the number one public safety threat--not drug dealers...not terrorists...not gun-toting gangsters..although they are a threat....but the movement of motor vehicles....and where those concomitant threats merge....

9. DRUG ARREST: 9/10 7:15 PM Newtowne Drive near Julianna Circle – an officer operating a tag reader detected a 1998 Lincoln SUV with suspended tags due to Failure To Comply With Emissions. It was stopped and the driver was identified as Kori Lamar Williams, 28, of Glen Burnie. A small amount of marijuana was found in the car. Mr. Williams was arrested and charged with Drug Possession, Driving On A Suspended License, and his vehicle was seized for forfeiture. (08-005768)

....which is why "minor" or "routine" traffic violations often lead to the discovery of bigger crimes.....

And this....

10. EMERGENCY EVALUATION: 9/10 10:53 pm President & Hanson Streets – a motorist was stopped in the traveling portion of the road. Officers found the driver to be in an dazed, unresponsive state. There was an odor of PCP detected. The driver, a 34 year old Glen Burnie resident, was taken to the hospital for an Emergency Psychiatric Evaluation. (08-005770)

That was PCP, not CP......However, CP's wife and son were recently stopped in the family car at a stop-sign near our home in Eastport when a driver slammed into the back of our car--and then continued to drive into a nearby house. It could have been much worse but our car was wrecked and it cost us thousands of dollars we'll never see again...and caused grief and hassle...and we have to go to court...where you and I pay the prosecutor and the defender as well...and for his prison if that is where he goes...he has been charged with reckless driving and driving while impaired--allegedly PCP...the second time CP's car has been totally wrecked...in Eastport...while sitting...more to come on this story

DRUGS....DESPAIR....POVERTY....LACK OF EDUCATION...PUBLIC HOUSING.....GUNS....MOTOR VEHICLES.........good thing we can all band together and invade Iraq...where McCain says we are winning!!!...oh--I forgot to mention unwed, teenage pregnancy--maybe Sarah Palin can help us out on that one by applying her small town values...

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Our Suburbs...Arnold, Hunt Meadow, etc. Take Note: A Third Bay Bridge Span?

The New York Times hosted a fascinating discussion on the topic of "What Is the Future of Suburbia? A Freakonomics Quorum". As expected, James Kunstler, one of CP's favorite writers, had hard-hitting things to tell us:

The automobile will be a diminishing presence in our lives, whether we like it or not. Further proof of our obdurate cluelessness in these matters is the absence of any public discussion about restoring the passenger railroad system — even as the airline industry is also visibly dying. The campaign to sustain suburbia and all its entitlements will result in a tragic squandering of our dwindling resources and capital.

The suburbs have three destinies, none of them exclusive: as materials salvage, as slums, and as ruins. In any case, the suburbs will lose value dramatically, both in terms of usefulness and financial investment. Most of the fabric of suburbia will not be “fixed” or retrofitted, in particular the residential subdivisions. They were built badly in the wrong places. We will have to return to traditional modes of inhabiting the landscape — villages, towns, and cities, composed of walkable neighborhoods and business districts — and the successful ones will have to exist in relation to a productive agricultural hinterland, because petro-agriculture (as represented by the infamous 3000-mile Caesar salad) is also now coming to an end. Fortunately, we have many under-activated small towns and small cities in favorable locations near waterways. This will be increasingly important as transport of goods by water regains importance.

Hmmmmm....a little harsh perhaps, but I love "obdurate cluelessness." Makes CP think of the hyperconservative bloggers who called me "stupid" and a "dumbass" because I am opposed to a third Bay Bridge crossing. Hmmmm....Baltimore's population has been declining for years, we're running out of oil and they want to spread more sprawl to the Eastern Shore.


How about this from Thomas Antus:

With a massive increase in the population density there will be a traffic light on every single corner. Smart individuals will have seen this coming and invested heavily in the firms that manufacture and install traffic lights, creating a new class of wealthy Americans (the “stop light rich”).

Sure why not? We already have the oil rich and oil poor. The automobile rich and automobile poor.

See SUBURBIA!!!

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City Council Debate on Style of Government Moves into Next Gear.....study it???

Two different bills are currently pending concerning altering our style of government. According to The Baltimore Sun, one council member wants to study the issue.

"City council member Sheila Finlayson wants to create a commission to study alternative forms of government for the city, including strong and weak mayoral systems and a city manager-style of government. Over the years, Finlayson said, three or four city-appointed groups have studied management options without reaching a conclusion."

Is that the definition of insanity--or what? Seems to me that the Alderwoman, who may be running for mayor (she won't say and no matter how much homework CP does, he can't find out...) wants to put this thing off for as long as possible....or maybe she just wants to avoid a solution for a fourth time...or is it a fifth so she be a more powerful mayor...if she runs?

Every form and style of government has some kind of flaw--it's a human institution and we're imperfect. But it is fundamentally wrong to expect anybody who decides to run for and then get elected to office in our small town to have the professional expertise and skill to manage an $80 million budget and hundreds of employees. That's why many cities have city managers--who are trained and certified and sworn to ethical and nonpolitical standards. It is fundamentally wrong to have a mayor who serves as CEO and Board Chairperson--as head of the executive and legislative branch. The city administrators we have had have never impressed CP and have had their hands tied in so many ways--after all, the mayor appoints that person!

To Alderwoman Finlayson and anyone else who wants to study this--please, I urge you set up the study team quickly and to give it a short timeframe. Don't dawdle and delay. And finally--don't ask a question if you already know the answer you want or if you will be afraid to act based on the answer you get. I testified as such on this many months ago before city council..and it is now many months later and she wants to study it to death---again

I believe WE NEED A CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT NOW--and we must empower the city council to negotiate a contract with such a person and to hire and fire him or her with a super-majority vote.

It sure is nice to know that an issue CP has been talking up and supporting so clearly and for so long has finally bubbled up to the surface. Ooh, let's hope this does not get nasty for I fear a real knock down and dirty fight about this.

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Wellness Author Deepak Chopra Says Palin "outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice"

The below was sent to my attention by Eastporter Gale Cromwell and I thought I would share it with you. Deepak Chopra is a physician and best-selling author in the field of mind body medicine. I don't entirely agree with his thesis, especially his dismissal of "small town values" but he presents a valuable social-psychological perspective on what I call our "Amerikan Kulturkampf." Thanks.


Obama and the Palin Effect

by Deepak Chopra

Sometimes politics has the uncanny effect of mirroring the national psyche even when nobody intended to do that. This is perfectly illustrated by the rousing effect that Gov. Sarah Palin had on the Republican convention in Minneapolis this week. On the surface, she outdoes former Vice President Dan Quayle as an unlikely choice, given her negligent parochial expertise in the complex affairs of governing. Her state of Alaska has less than 700,000 residents, which reduces the job of governor to the scale of running one-tenth of New York City. By comparison, Rudy Giuliani is a towering international figure. Palin’s pluck has been admired, and her forthrightness, but her real appeal goes deeper.

She is the reverse of Barack Obama, in essence his shadow, deriding his idealism and turning negativity into a cause for pride. In psychological terms the shadow is that part of the psyche that hides out of sight, countering our aspirations, virtue, and vision with qualities we are ashamed to face: anger, fear, revenge, violence, selfishness, and suspicion of “the other.” For millions of Americans, Obama triggers those feelings, but they don’t want to express them. He is calling for us to reach for our higher selves, and frankly, that stirs up hidden reactions of an unsavory kind. (Just to be perfectly clear, I am not making a verbal play out of the fact that Sen. Obama is black. The shadow is a metaphor widely in use before his arrival on the scene.) I recognize that psychological analysis of politics is usually not welcome by the public, but I believe such a perspective can be helpful here to understand Palin’s message. In her acceptance speech Gov. Palin sent a rousing call to those who want to celebrate their resistance to change and a higher vision

Look at what she stands for:

o Small town values — a nostalgic return to simpler times disguises a denial of America’s global role, a return to petty, small-minded parochialism.

o Ignorance of world affairs — a repudiation of the need to repair America’s image abroad.

o Family values — a code for walling out anybody who makes a claim for social justice. Such strangers, being outside the family, don’t need to be needed.

o Rigid stands on guns and abortion — a scornful repudiation that these issues can be negotiated with those who disagree.

o Patriotism — the usual fallback in a failed war.

o ”Reform” — an italicized term, since in addition to cleaning out corruption and excessive spending, one also throws out anyone who doesn’t fit your ideology.

Palin reinforces the overall message of the reactionary right, which has been in play since 1980, that social justice is liberal-radical, that minorities and immigrants, being different from “us” pure American types, can be ignored, that progressivism takes too much effort and globalism is a foreign threat. The radical right marches under the banners of “I’m all right, Jack,” and “Why change? Everything’s OK as it is.” The irony, of course, is that Gov. Palin is a woman and a reactionary at the same time. She can add mom to apple pie on her resume, while blithely reversing forty years of feminist progress. The irony is superficial; there are millions of women who stand on the side of conservatism, however obviously they are voting against their own good. The Republicans have won multiple national elections by raising shadow issues based on fear, rejection, hostility to change, and narrow-mindedness

Obama’s call for higher ideals in politics can’t be seen in a vacuum. The shadow is real; it was bound to respond. Not just conservatives possess a shadow — we all do. So what comes next is a contest between the two forces of progress and inertia. Will the shadow win again, or has its furtive appeal become exhausted? No one can predict. The best thing about Gov. Palin is that she brought this conflict to light, which makes the upcoming debate honest. It would be a shame to elect another Reagan, whose smiling persona was a stalking horse for the reactionary forces that have brought us to the demoralized state we are in. We deserve to see what we are getting, without disguise.

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Lawyer Tells Court: A member (Tony McConkey) of the House of Delegates makes his living violating the laws he passes

You won't see Republican bloggers writing about this!!! CP treats all local and state politicians equally, regardless of party and this time I relish in telling you about Delegate Tony McConkey who was just found guilty of violating state law for buying a woman's house out of foreclosure. But it gets worse....I will defer to The Capital (yes I have to mention the name) which writes that McConkey "said that if he violated the Protection of Homeowners in Foreclosure Act, which he voted for in 2005 and again in 2008 when it was amended, then the law is 'wrong' and 'harmful' to people in foreclosure." McConkey went on to say the law was confusing!!!! (Aggghhhhh....it's like the child who murders his parents and asks for leniency because he is an orphan....sort of...or maybe like Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)who says he didn't pay taxes on rental income from his Dominican villa because he didn't understand the finances. Note: Rangel chairs the House committee that writes US tax law and is a Democrat!!)

According to The Capital, the plaintiff's lawyer filed court papers claiming "the delegate has spent years 'perfecting various schemes' to con 'susceptible and vulnerable consumers' out of their homes." Hmmm...maybe that's why the law he violated was made so complicated---d'ya think? .

McConkey's lawyer is none other than Gregory M. Kline,publisher of the blog "The Conservative Refuge" which Kline describes as "A safe place for conservative Republicans in Anne Arundel County Maryland to share views, get inside information and plot our way out of the wilderness." A safe place indeed. Seems as if McConkey may be needing a refuge. Visit his blog and draw your own conclusions from his self-serving "About Me" profile. I hate to give him this free publicity, but here goes
kline for delegate
and
conservative refuge/

When Kline unsuccessfully ran for delegate in 2006, this is what he said about McConkey:
"I want to congratulate my running mate Delegate Tony McConkey for being the top vote getter in the race. Despite the nasty attacks on him by cowards who hid in the shadows, the voters on Tuesday recognized what I have known for years, Tony is a principled conservative leader and we are privileged to have him as our Delegate. I was proud to team up with him during this campaign and am honored to call him my friend."

No doubt they honor each other. But I like the part about "cowards who hid in shadows".... indeed! BOOH!

This is what Wikipedia has to say about Kline:

Kline is the former President of the Young Republicans of Anne Arundel County and currently serves as counsel to the Anne Arundel County Republican Central Committee (CP notes: apparently not any more...). Kline received his Juris Doctor degree in 1996 from Capital University [1], a fourth-tier U.S. law schools according to U.S. News & World Report [2]. Kline received his undergraduate degree in political science in 1993 from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

I like that--a "fourth tier" law school.....Makes me shed a tear for him....

For more, type McConkey and search CP with the Search gadget to the right.

By the way, McConkey was at the Republican National Convention and did not attend the hearing. I am sure he was in good company.

See The Capital's story at McConkey

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Good Police Work!...Now What Will The Courts Do?

From Our Police Dep't:
ROBBERY: On September 11th (I think it was actually Sept 10) at 3:21 PM, a 30 year old resident of Melrob Court reported that he was robbed while he was walking home from a friend’s house. He was accosted on Ellington Drive near Janwall Street by a male suspect armed with a handgun. The victim turned over his wallet to the suspect, who then fled on a bicycle. There was no cash or other items of material value in the victim’s wallet. At 4:11 AM, a man fitting the same description climbed through the drive - through window of McDonald’s at 1941 West Street and ordered the employees to the floor at gunpoint. He then demanded money. He took some of the store’s cash from a register, climbed back out through the window, and fled on a bicycle. At 4:29 AM, an officer searching for the suspect saw him riding the bike on Hilltop Lane near Chatham Lane. The suspect abandoned the bike and fled on foot through residential back yards. Officers secured the area and Maryland State Police sent a helicopter to assist. Also, the Anne Arundel County Police sent a K-9 team to aid with the search. At 5:18 AM, the suspect was located in the back yard of a house in the 1400 block of Stone Creek Road by an Annapolis K-9 team. He was subsequently identified by the victims as being the robber. Jontae Arnell Powell, 21, of Hilltop Lane was arrested. He is currently being processed at Police Headquarters, and will be charged with armed Robbery, Assault, and other related offenses. (08-005773)

(CP NOTE:Now I know why the helicopter was buzzing around)

If you have information on these or any other crimes, you can call the Annapolis Police Dept at 410-268-9000. Remember, you do not have to leave your name.

Today’s Crime Prevention Tip: Keep your doors locked even while home. Experience tells us that most burglars avoid occupied houses, but some do not, and some even seek them out. Others may mistakenly think that you are not home, or simply not care.

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Battling Republicans!...and Change in the White House

Yup--I heard the new McCain ad with the deep voice saying, "He battled Republicans and reformed Washington. She battled Republicans and reformed Alaska." Uh...okay...so why are they Republicans? Maybe they should switch parties. That would be a change. And if I were a Republican, why would I support them if they are proud of battling my own kind? Could it be they are merely trying to lure Democrats to their side? (duhhh) And if they have to battle Republicans--and they say that is good, is this not all the more reason to have Democrats? Sounds like more lipstick on a pig stuff to me.


As for this bridge to nowhere, it seems to me that McCain and Palin are a bridge to nowhere...except more war, more pandering, more empty jingoism. And as for them adopting this message of "change" (which is as phony as the Alaskan night is long) the only thing that's going to be changed in the White House if they are elected will be diapers--for children and at least one adult.

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"He (McCain) Will Make Cheney Look Like Gandhi"

No, CP did not come up with that quote. It was not made by Obama. It was not made by a Democrat. Watch this chilling videotape and find out at the end who said this about McCain.

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Heard Today from Obama...

This whole pig with lipstick thing is just getting smeared.... But I did hear the junior senator from Illinois say this, or something almost like this today:

"The other side is not good at governing, but they are good at campaigning."

Right on! Don't let them swiftboat you. You go!

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Carl Snowden--Take Note!

From the Annapolis Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Police Beat Report www.annapolis.gov/police we learn that on September 8th and 9th no less than three people who had previously been banned from public housing properties were arrested for trespassing. Perhaps Attorney General Doug Gansler is keeping Carl Snowden so busy that he is unable to help these three individuals whose rights have been violated. I am incensed. How about you?


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Irate Reader Says CP is Like Bill Maher

CP received a comment from a reader who wrote:

You are starting to sound like Bill Maher- who is less interested in providing rational analysis, and more into ridicule and smug "humor". He assumes his audience is bright and witty, and anyone who opposes him to be a dolt.

So do you.

You will never be taken seriously until you learn how to present issues in a logical, nonpartisan way. Or, if you want to be partisan, at least do so from an issues stand point, and leave the amateur personal attacks for hacks.

please take me off your list

Wow! I think it's pretty neat for little old me to be compared to national commentator and humorist Bill Maher. What's next--Mark Twain? However I do take a couple of exceptions to the letter. Why does the writer (who will remain anonymous because I don't think he deserves further embarrassment) think it is a bad thing to assume my audience is "bright and witty"? Would he prefer I assume my readers are dull and dim-witted? He says that I believe that anyone who opposes me is a dolt. That is absolutely a false and nasty accusation to make--although sometimes the comments I receive confirms that there are dolts out there.

So I went to Bill Maher's latest posting and he just cracked me up--poking fun at Republican "plutocrats" who are trying to get Americans to think of Obama as an elitist. What an appropriate post considering the accusations in the reader's comments. View it here:
Obama Elitist?

A longtime resident and business owner sent me this note:

I do enjoy your efforts, agree with most of your opinions, and appreciate the effort you put into all of them.

And Eastporter Stanford Erickson wrote this (slightly excerpted..)
The writer has a point...not 100 percent but 25%...You should consider what the writer says. Reducing your smugness, which turns off people, will make your site even more enjoyable. We can learn from everyone.I love what you wrote back to him. You are such a great talent and so entertaining.I am just suggesting that you can learn from everyone. Naturally any good editor is going to irritate 10 to 20% every time they write. The key is that it is a different group each time.

As I always have said about journalism--if some love you what you write and some hate what you write, you must be doing something right...write...right?

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Musings On The Renaissance Festival: Boleyn for Dollars Anyone?

No doubt that it is the small scale of everything and the absence of "alienation" that makes it so appealing. Same with Disney World's Magic Kingdom and the Enchanted Forest you older folks might remember. We fantasize for a more "real" sense of place that somehow The Renaissance Festival affords us, or we think it does that.

The Festival:
Is surrounded and enveloped by trees and nature
Has no roads
Has no cars
Has lots of music--live and not recorded
Has artisans and craftspersons selling directly to us
Lovely clothing and accessories, handmade from real objects
Has buildings constructed of wood and at a small, human scale
Has a wise and benevolent King and Queen who graciously meet their subjects
Has beer...lots of brands and at fairly good prices
Has no roads
Has no cars
Fun for people of all ages allowing interaction and communication
Has ladies who wear bodices that push their cleavage up...and out..ahh la la
Has men who wear silk and tights and pointy shoes..ooh la la
Has no electronic games or tv screens--only "real "things

Now of course, what they are trying to show us is something along the lines of what current day marketers imagine that a market or festival day might possibly have been like in an English town, perhaps in the 13th or 14th century as England was a rising world power (Even though the king appears to be Henry the Eighth and he of course came later...but let's not lose our head about it....). Everything is happening all at once and there is a never ending stream of entertainment and merriment--fun for the whole family. I loved it. So did the whole family.

But it really underscored many things, many elements that we all really seem to like, if not to crave in urban or small-town life. We want trees. We want artists, artisans, musicians and entertainers playing real music and selling real things--all for real people. There are no celebrities and thankfully only a few snippets of corporate culture that manage to invade the peaceful atmosphere of the old days (Lady Visa and Master Card, for example). We want to walk and stroll and people-watch. We want to do this without the noise and dangers from cars whether they are moving, stopped in traffic or just parked. We want people who are participants and observers and people who we can observe, as people watching,which if quantified, would probably rank as the number one industry or meta-industry in the world.

Of course, a thousand cars all parked outside the gates in an open field. We could not escape the circus of pasty-faced, obese people wearing obnoxious tee-shirts, talking on cellphones (Oh, I can't talk now--I'm in the middle of a sword fight..Sorry, Can't send e-mail, I'm wearing chain mail)while gnawing on steak on a stake.

It got me to thinking. What we really need NOW is a renaissance in our urban life and culture, something that might make every day in our towns and cities more like what we seem to like about our visits on those idyllic fall weekends to something we call today "The Renaissance Festival"
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It Looks As If Porch Columns Should Be.....Wood!

Our recently-ended poll concerns the creeping plasticity of our downtown historic district. Should columns be allowed to be built of plastic? Despite a large and sustained spike in site visits in the last week, we only managed to attract a few dozen votes, which is nowhere near our normal numbers. Maybe most folks just don't care too much about this issue, but of those that do, they are overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the historic building material of wood and not permitting plastic. See the results to the upper right. Thanks to all those who voted! As for those who voted "Huh? Duh? Wuh? All I can say is "huh? duh? wuh?"

If we exclude that "trick" question, we see that 18 out of 35 or about half, say plastic should "never" be allowed while 11 or about one-third say "perhaps" and only six or about 17% percent say "yes".

Remember--these polls are not performed in a scientific manner and should not be considered as being indicative of the views of the overall populace...but they can be fun!

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We Are Winning In Iraq!!!

John McCain said it today. He knows about Iraq even though he may not know how many houses he owns. Hurrah. We are winning. Rah. Rah. And of course he reminded the audience that Obama said the surge would not work! (Of course, McCain failed to mention how he voted to invade Iraq and Obama voted against it.) Rah. We're winning. Kind of like in Vietnam. Yup. John McCain says he knows how to win wars! Kind of like in Vietnam too. I'd rather have a president who does everything in his or her power to avoid war and not glorify it. How about you?

We're winning. We're winning. Nah nah nah nah nah nah!

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What Is the Difference Between A Pit Bull and A Republican Mayor of a Small Town in Alaska?

If you said "lipstick" you might be right. As more comes out from Wasilla about McCain's VP choice, we can all rest thankful that at least she was not mayor of Annapolis.
The Washington Monthly, Anchorage Daily News http://www.adn.com/sarah-palin/story/515512.html and elsewhere tell stories of pressure brought against public servants, forced resignations and terminations and even library censorship. Oh, and of course the crusading advocate for conservative family values such as no premarital sex and no teaching of sex issues in schools has a teenage daughter who...well, you know the story...and the one about the state trooper...
But we must also now turn to America's most reliable news source (besides The Onion) and check in with The Daily Show to see how Republican "strategist" Karl Rove sees it.
What's the difference between Karl Rove and a hockey mom? Hint--it may have something to do with the word "PUCK".
What do the angry left and the Hanoi Hilton have in common? President Bush will tell you!
Learn about what the "cream" of the republican Party do every four years (from a bathroom stall in the Minneapolis airport)
Jon Stewart jokingly paraphrases Senators Thompson and Lieberman who attack the "Washington establishment" by screaming "When are you idiots going to vote us out of office?"
Now for the Karl Rove hypocritical, phony, useless lying SOS take on Sarah Palin see from 9:07 to and then hatemonger, arrogant Bill O'Reilley (starting at 1o:55). Rove is such an idiot that he thinks Wasilla is the second largest city in Alaska. I guess he never heard of Juneau, Fairbanks, Nome, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Sitka......(but then he was able to name seven other US cities larger than Richmond, VA--which is vastly larger than Wasilla...to attack a Democrat on Obama's list earlier....)

Then at 12:00 see hatemonger Sean Hannity show off his repulsive double standards. Then it's on to Dick Morris!...and more...until Newt Gingrich, who is at least an intelligent and accomplished man comes on...

See it for yourself at: www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=184082


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CP Apologizes to Alderwoman Finlayson: Your Mercedes is Blue, Not Black!

Alderwoman Yells "Foer" on Golf Course, and Tries to Beat My Putts. Who is more "green" and what is the fair-way to play? Methinks she has sliced into the sand trap on this one.

A few days back, CP posted about Annapolis Alderwoman Sheila Finlayson's upcoming, Monday afternoon, high-falutin',celebrity golf tournament in Upper Marlboro. Despite giving her this free promotion, CP somehow managed to raise the lawmaker's ire. Please, Sheila, it's not personal. CP digs and goes after (as well as thanks and acknowledges) elected officials of all stripes and affiliations and has made it a habit of calling attention to what CP considers to be excessive, unnecessary or inappropriate fund-raising--and if you look back, you'll see I have done this for many other elected officials--of both parties. So, don't take it personally. See the original post below by clicking "older posts" and going all the way back to September 5th! Read it, and then come right back here to see her reply.

Now--what was so bad about what I wrote? CP was simply reporting from the Alderwoman's own online invitation. Herewith is the Alderwoman's response in bold , followed by CP's comments:


It appears that accuracy of information eludes you. You received an email of the brochure and "assumed" far more than I am willing to take the time to correct. Do your homework or at least read closely what you receive. Did you miss my tournament last year? Obviously, because I had one! The golf course in Upper Marlboro is family owned! Many Annapolitans played last year! Fund raisers are held all the time! Were you invited to Ross' last month? Mercedes is blue!
Just do your homework!!!! (She did not even have the decency to write "Dear Paul" or "Sincerely, Sheila". Harumph!)

Dear Sheila:

In your recent comment to CP, I am upset that you called me a liar! You say that "accuracy of information eludes" me. Please explain what you mean. What was inaccurate? What has eluded me? First of all, I never received an email of any brochure. I simply found the announcement online. I made no assumptions except to report the facts of the invitation. If you took the time to write a comment, and tell me to do my homework (all my work is homework thank you...) why won't you take the time to correct these alleged inaccuracies? If something has "eluded" me, why don't you educate me--and thus my readers? After all, you are a professional educator.

You asked if I missed your tournament last year. The answer is yes. So what. I have no interest in golf...especially in Marlboro...especially on a Monday afternoon..and at the "donation" prices you ask...NBA or NFL players or not. So what's the big deal if I missed it last year? Your honor, motion to strike as irrelevant. You then answer your own question by saying "Obviously, because I had one." Again, it is irrelevant and I did not say you never had one, so what was inaccurate? I did say it was billed as being annual, so that means year after year--right? Besides, as a journalist, I generally (did not say "never") don't go to such events. Next case your honor.

I am glad the golf course is family-owned. I never mentioned anything about who owned it, so again, it is irrelevant. Perhaps it is your family or you have a family member working there for all I know. As far as whether Annapolitans played there or did not play there, I never said anything about that. Your honor, motion to strike as inadmissible and irrelevant--but again I ask--what did I write that was inaccurate?

You write "Fundraisers are held all the time". Yes this is true. So are drive-by shootings...especially in your ward. So what. I never said otherwise. In fact, as mentioned above and in the original post, this is something CP has covered before--and will continue to cover, so we are in agreement. Again--which facts have eluded me?

I was aware of Ross's fundraiser last month, and chose not to attend because I do try to remain impartial and maintain journalistic integrity and I do not endorse or support local candidates although I do vote in elections. But again--of what relevance is this? Where was I inaccurate? Which "facts" eluded me? Unlike your high-stakes Finlayson Celebrity Tournament fundraiser in PG County, his was held in Eastport and cost $50--which is still too much for CP. And if you were not so careless about "elusive" facts, you would have recalled that I wrote about his fundraiser back in the summer and questioned his intentions and need for fundraising as well. Is he an announced candidate for something--are you??? See Shelia--I am not picking on you or anyone. I am treating all politicians equally--for better or worse. You may refresh your memory here: annapoliscapitalpunishment.blogspot.com/2008/07/party-for-ross-arnett.html


Your experience as a teacher shines through. You admonish me twice to do my homework. Well teacher, I did do it. Yet instead of grading me fairly, you accuse me of lying--and in the same breath come right out and say you don't want to correct my homework--just criticize it! Take thee to thy supervisor's office for a conference now!

However, I did make one error. I said your Mercedes is black. You say it is blue. My apologies to all for saying Sheila's Mercedes is blue when it is really black.

Your Mercedes is BLUE!!!! I was wrong.

What kind of car you drive is only relevant considering the circumstances in that you claim--in the fundraising invitation no less, that you "have some great ideas to share about 'greening' our city and focusing more on moving people as opposed to cars." By "greening" do you mean as in a golf course! Okay, well instead of whining about me getting the color of your luxury vehicle wrong, tell me your great ideas and I'll give you a forum right here to share them with the community--without them having to drive in their cars--if they own them--to play golf on a Monday in Marlboro. I've been a strong advocate of improving non-automobile transportation options in our city for a decade, but somehow the "fact" of your involvement in this issue must have "eluded" me. Hence the Mercedes issue.....be it black or blue.

So, now that I have issued my very public retort to your very public letter in which you accuse me of lying and tell me to do my homework, what do you say now? Do facts elude me? Was I inaccurate? Do I still need to do my homework? And really, there are but three questions truly needing a reply:

Are you running for mayor? If not, why are you trying to raise so much money? Are you, or are you not allowed to solicit a donation in excess of $1000 as commenter Scott Bowling has claimed? (Oh and while I am going on, why does a Mercedes driving, golf course owner need to raise so much money to represent one of the most economically challenged areas of the city???)

Sincerely

Paul Foer aka "CP"

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Republican Blogger Upset that Democrats are "Disrepecking" Old Glory

The publisher at hyperconservative blog Anne Arundel Politics is very upset and making a very big deal that the Democratic National Committee is "disrepecking" the American flag. Good grief. They show a picture that supposedly backs up their claim, but I say, even if it is true, give us all a break from this phony, misleading, distracting, pseudo-patriotic vitriol. None of us really have any idea about what is really going on in the photo which is simply a whole lot of rolled up flags, neatly encased in protective bags, probably for shipping off to use elsewhere--or maybe to donate to Al Qaida for all we know.

Oh yeah--Democrats are unpatriotic, flag-hating softies, weak on defense etc., etc...I guess John F. Kennedy did not drive PT 109 and George McGovern (remember him--soft on defense?) did not fly bombers in WW 2, Jimmy Carter was not a submarine officer, John Kerry did not volunteer for Swift boat duty and Max Clellan--remember him and what the Republicans did to him?

Here is the supposedly offending and offensive photo from the blog which claims that it shows "The DNC leadership disrepecking the US flag." I think it looks like a pretty respectful and orderly way to store a whole lot of flags--which by the way, were probably just used for waving and displaying in a patriotic manner--which this rightwinger seems to have overlooked--as well as the fact that if they were going to be disposed of, why would they be so neatly and carefully packed? But it's all beside the point anyhow--and we know what is his point. Those gosh darn disrepecking right wingers are at it again..and boy are they gonna @$$@ all over CP now!:











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Found A Cool Website With Great Graphics

It's called Oldamericancentury.org by the Project for the Old American Century which described itself as "a grass-roots organization that strives to protect and strengthen democracy primarily by disseminating unreported and underreported news stories from a perspective untainted by political or corporate sponsorship. The Project was founded in 2002 in response to a rigged election, reduced civil liberties, a hijacking of our domestic and foreign policies by the energy/defense industries, and a compliant corporate media that refused to make these problems prominent in our national consciousness. We felt it our duty as patriots to create a web-based independent media outlet where we can not only debunk the myth of the liberal media but expose the corruption and cronyism taking place at the highest levels of government and corporate power."

Sounds about right to me!



Visit Oldamericancentury.org

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More Bad News...about News "Reporting"

CP often comments on our media, sometimes nicely and sometimes...not so nicely. I just love taking potshots at the Arundel Extra section of that big Washington newspaper because it never knew what it wanted to be or how to be it. They should either get serious about regular, daily reporting or get out of town....er I mean county. That's the problem--they can't really do what The Capital does and they try to go head to head with that sunny paper from up north in the regions between B'more and D.C..

Too often it was filled with fluffy features, sports, calendars of events, crime reports, home sales reports and old, rehashed "news" and ads that were not even local in scope. Sometimes they were so lacking in selectivity that they took stories from not only outside of the county, but from Virginia! Now it is getting worse. They are combining with the Howard County "Extra"--and as corporations often do when downsizing to serve us even less, they are telling us they are improving the publication to provide us with better coverage. Uh....yeah, and monkeys will fly out my...oh never mind. I love the Washington Post--grew up with it, knew many writers there, but these local sections.....I can leave them. What a shame. A newsweekly from that otherwise great paper could serve us so well....maybe they should take a lesson or two from Bay Weekly--and get local with news...not just low caloric.

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