Summer day.. 80 degrees, but no sun. That's OK, we've had a lot so far.
01. Robotics
Reading about the youngsters designing and building robots for this year's 4H Fair is very pleasant. For the past six years Carroll County has sent a team to the Robotics World Championships, and each year they have won an award. These smart kids in the Robotics Club give me a feeling of hope for the world.
02. *Boehner's Law Suit .. Why it will fail
I am reading where legal experts say that there are four reasons why Congress' upcoming lawsuit against Obama (for delaying parts of the Affordable Care Act) will fail.
a. Members of Congress do not have "standing" to file constitutional lawsuits because they would have to prove an injury in a personal and intentional way.
b. If Congress feels that Obama has broken the law, impeachment is the way to go.. but then, impeachment is appropriate only if the President has committed "high crimes and misdemeanors, clearly not the case here.
c. Delays are commonplace and not a refusal to enforce a law.
d. There is not enough time to get a suit underway because the law will be all phased in during January 2015.
The Representative that is shepherding this lawsuit through Congress and, he hopes, to the Supreme Court, just finished talking on CSPAN. I'm sorry, but from what he said, I got the impression that he had some mental problem. Who is going to pay for this frivolity? Why, you and I, of course.
03. *Immigrant Children .. Judges' Workloads
Some hearings for these children can't be held until 2017 because of massive caseloads for the 243 Immigrant Judges, most of whom already have a 1,500 case workload. Could some of these children be farmed out to Foster Care? Some form of Adoption? Probably, to just make all of these children citizens might solve the situation. Why not?
04. *Hobby Lobby .. Arguments Con and Pro
Richard Nicolaus argues with Mitch Edelman's recent column as being similar to "public outcries from bleeding-heart liberals" and "is little more than a liberal-activist's attempt to stir up public anger and public resentment to (the Court's) decision."
But, Victor Wilkotz writes: "Who knew that Hobby Lobby was a religious institution? It took a monumentally stupid finding by the Supreme Court to find that corporations are individuals and have the religious rights of individuals to sanctify that crafts store."
05. James Garner dies at 86
My hero, at least on the TV and Movie Screen has passed away. More about Jim to come. Stay tuned.
06. *Scams .. DEA Call
A man calls you and says he is a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. He says that someone has misused your credit card for prescription medication, a very bad crime. Until it is all straightened out, you will need to pay a fine or risk arrest as an accomplish. Send or wire money to ........ Or, if you don't have the money to send, let me have your credit card number again so I can pay the fine with the card. ..... or words to that effect... (Before you hang up, try to get the telephone number of the caller and report it to the police.
07. *Police .. Coffee with a Cop
On July 30th, Sykesville, Maryland police officers will be available at a coffee shop for informal discussions with citizens. This program is called; "Coffee with a Cop" and is designed to get citizens to form a good relationship with the police community. (A good idea.)
By the Way, the Carroll County TRIAD meetings are based on the same premise. We meet every third Thursday, every month at the Westminster Senior Activity Center, and the meeting always includes at least one policeman or States Attorney employee. I am the Citizen coordinator.
08. *Social Security .. When to file
As an employee of the Social Security Administration, I supported the advice from the agency that one might do well to take reduced benefits at age 62 rather than 65, because, God forbid, you just might die before you were 65.
Of course, now, times have changed and one might say that age 65 is now 55, so chances of dying between 62 and 65 is probably no longer to be worried about.
Jonathan Clements writes for the Wall Street Journal and suggest that one wait until age 70 and shows figure that indicate that yearly benefits could be almost $10,000 more if you wait.. of course, you could get early benefits and still work and have your benefits recalculated each year including your new earnings.
09. New York Times Advertisement
An ad says: "Addressed to Perfection.. The Carlton House at 21 East 61st Street.. at the fashionable intersection of East 61st St and Madison Avenue. Prices start at $8.6 million." Wow!
10. The Grand Old Party?
Michael Quick writes to the New York Times: "The Republican Party was the party of powerful ideas in the 1980's and '90's. Since then, the rise of the Tea Party, Fox News and talk radio have made the GOP the party of shallow thoughts and simple slogans. Bereft of deep thoughts and big ideas, it has become the party of tactical political advantage ... opposing everything that the Obama Administration proposes...
11. Tosca!
As I'm writing this, I am listening to XM/Sirius radio playing an old transcription of a live Met performance of Tosca. In a minute, Tosca will stab Scarpia and later jump off Sant 'Angelo. Brava!
12. Opera!
It used to be: Damn everything but the Circus! But I think its should be Damn everything but the Opera! Opera makes me cry sometimes.. and laugh sometimes.. but it always triggers some kind of emotion.. Opera has everything: Glorious singing; expressive acting; interesting plots (sometimes); beautiful costumes; fantastic sets.. usually with slanted stages (how do they keep from sliding down?); and most of all.. wonderful orchestral music! (Try it you'll like it!)
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