Good AM in advance folks!
Facebooking:
Offers accepted, earnest money tendered, signatures rendered. As for WW's concern re two houses for sale, I have no current house payment, will have none at our new home, either. Thus, we can deal with Susan's house at relative leisure.
Andy the cat gets his sutures out tomorrow AM, and the funnel-like collar removed. He has been a real trouper through all this, without the usual feline scratching and complaining.
Oh yes, we do LTE's here. Have at 'em, remember your manners.
"Personal beliefs"
ReplyDeleteSome readers have recently expressed support for business owners having the "right" to express personal beliefs with his or her business operations and the money it generates. These same readers do not understand why there were protests to this "right."
I would kindly like those readers to be aware that this particular food enterprise gave $25,000 to the Family Research Council last year, a group that lobbied Congress not to pass a bill condemning Uganda for its "Kill the Gays" legislation.
I have no problem with a person running his or her company based upon personal beliefs, but when said company, and the people who support it, use their money to discriminate and deny equal rights to all people and, worse yet, support murder in evangelized African nations, then I do have a problem with it.
I am grateful to the many companies and individuals sponsoring the Equality Winston-Salem Pride event this coming Oct. 13 in downtown Winston-Salem to celebrate equal rights and compassion for all citizens here and around the world, and welcome more companies to contact the Equality Winston-Salem website (equalitywinstonsalem.org) to join the sponsorship drive.
DIRK ROBERTSON
CO-FOUNDER, EQUALITY WINSTON-SALEM
Lewisville
"Re-establishing balance"
Happy Valley ain't happy.
The NCAA punished Penn State severely for horrendous conduct. The situation will get worse for the university, both on the gridiron and elsewhere. The message sent was that athletics cannot run the university. Yet, the NCAA missed a great opportunity to send a message to all its member institutions.
Here are four things the NCAA should do to re-establish some sort of balance in the "student-athlete" equation:
Limit coaching salaries. Who is more important on a college campus when coaches receive many multiples in remuneration of the highest academic officials? Athletic-department employees should receive, from all sources (alumni groups, car dealers, apparel, shoe and equipment companies), no more than the average of the five highest-compensated non-athletic officials.
There should be no separate athletic slush funds to which members of the public might make contributions. All gifts to academic institutions, except to fund construction projects, should go to the general fund of the institution.
All athletic department revenues, including for special seating/food/drink, should go to the general fund, not to the athletic department.
Scholarships should be granted on the basis of need, not athletic ability, and should, once granted, be renewed annually only on the basis of continued good academic standing.
All revenues from "rights" to NCAA sanctioned events, such as television, should be divided equally among the member institutions.
The NCAA has shown a willingness to regulate far beyond the need to level the competitive playing field. It should do so in a grand way now.
GUY BLYNN
Winston-Salem
"'Traditional values'"
DeleteIn Dana Milbank's column "A Christian food fight" (July 27), he quotes Mike Huckabee saying, "If Christians affirm traditional values, we're considered homophobic, fundamentalists, hatemongers and intolerant." I agree, and I am one who considers them so.
The "traditional values" he espouses aren't tucking your children into bed at night and reading them a story; they're trying to institute discrimination against gay people — tearing families led by gay people apart — denying them health coverage, denying them jobs and housing and their very right to exist.
Masking discrimination in a benign-sounding term like "traditional values" doesn't make it any less onerous.
Oh, and about this idea that people like me are not being tolerant of their views? One can't support tolerance and intolerance at the same time.
JAMES T. FULLER
Winston-Salem
"Developing green space"
I read with much interest your editorial concerning the Legacy plan ("The future requires preparation," Aug. 1). I attended the meeting on July 26 and was impressed by the amount of excitement that seemed to fill the room. I think our neighbors in the West Highland neighborhoods are ready to embrace the future, also.
The west side of West Highlands and the east side of West End will both experience opportunities to discuss "smart growth" as developers approach neighborhood associations with new building possibilities.
Development can be more than just putting up a structure. When neighbors meet with a developer they need to ask, "How can we make this proposal more suitable to a historic neighborhood?" "Is there a way to have or add more green space to a project?" If we are discussing a parking garage or an office building, "Can we build 'down' and put the structure further in the ground?" Yes that costs more, but maybe developers need to be prepared for that. Maybe the city needs to require that.
The Legacy plan mentions the importance of greenways and green space as part of development. So, why don't we consider green space as development? Just because a piece of land hasn't been built on doesn't mean the neighborhoods want a structure on it. Green space compliments the buildings that surround it. Green space is there for a reason.
Appropriate buildings and the green space that includes them should be our "legacy."
JOHN R. "ROB" HILDEBRAND JR.
PRESIDENT, WEST HIGHLANDS NEIGHBORHOODS ASSOCIATION, INC.
Winston-Salem
"Boycotting boycotts"
DeleteMany of my friends are calling for me to boycott. I have some friends who want me to boycott NBC because they feel that it is so biased for President Obama. I rarely watch NBC. Not because of its politics but because of its shows.
I have friends who want me to cancel my membership to Costco because former Costco CEO and co-founder Jim Sinegal backs the president. Sorry. Not yet ready to give up the pallet of t.p.
My more liberal friends want me to boycott everything. The latest is Chick-fil-A, for the comments its president, Dan Cathy, made about marriage. They tell me that among other things, he thinks I was wrong to divorce my first wife. I can't tell you how very strongly I disagree with that thought, but not enough to give up a great chicken sandwich.
The bottom line is this: Boycotting a business because you do not agree with its philosophies, either political or other, is the same to me as burning books because you don't agree with the author's story. So, with that said, I'm here to say, I ain't no book burner. Pass the waffle fries.
TOM RAIF
Lewisville
I'm not sure re Guy Blynn's suggestions re the NCAA, but my opinion would be colored by the fact that he is straight-up ***hole, very disagreeable person.
DeleteStab, excellent news about the new manse! If it is family approved and cat approved--all is well. Especially good news is the no house payment part. That factor will prove a blessing fairly soon.
ReplyDeleteMore "chicken scratching". It's going to be one of those days most likely.
ReplyDeleteThe tragedy of Penn State is compounded by the willingness of people in charge to abide evil.
We sold our properties in West Highlands after many years. Never thought of it as "west side and east side".
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi WW! Definitely family approved, cats have yet to weigh in. I suspect when the two find out about each other, they will not approve.
ReplyDeleteThere once were 2 cats in Kilkenny
Who each thought that was 1 cat too many.
So they spat and they spit
And they fought and they fit.
Now instead of 2 there ain't any.
Sounds like an intervention may be in the future?
DeleteI'm a bit worried about how slightly built and timid Andy will get along with agressive and spoiled Roscoe, but we'll work it out. If Amy were still alive and healthy, she'd have Roz tamed, but unfortunately, she ain't.
DeleteGood news on Andy.
DeleteYou never know about cats. We once had an irascible Siamese who suffered from ASPD...didn't get along with any other critter except us, so eventually became the only cat in the house.
He got really old...almost blind and deaf and lame and did nothing but sleep, eat and poop...we figured he would die any minute. Then we reluctantly accepted a couple of feral kittens that someone had found, worried that they would disturb our old cat's final days.
Lo and behold, he revived from his dying trance and set up a training program for the kittens...soon they were following him everywhere he went. He taught them manners, whose dish it was OK to eat from (dog dishes OK, in fact, preferred, but never his)and the advantages of human laptime. He lived in this revitalized state for two more years and left behind two of the best cats we ever had.
Andy had his stitches removed, but the vet said leave the cone-shaped collar on for another day to keep him from bothering the stitched area, as it may irritate him today. I was hoping for his sake to remove it, but he has been very good natured about it.
DeleteGood afternoon folks!
ReplyDeleteLTE 1, 3: It's incredible to me that an organization founded by James Dobson that promotes itself as being "Christian" would support a campaign to murder people. No wonder FRC has been labeled as a hate group. Mr. Robertson echoes my sentiments towards the issue as does Mr. Fuller. Asking people to tolerate your hatred and intolerance is way over the top.
LTE 2: In 2010, the NCAA signed a contract worth $11billion just for the basketball tournament. The ACC recently signed a $1.86 billion contract with ESPN/ABC for football. This doesn't include the other sports networks that televise games such as RayCom or the millions in deals individual schools have with companies such as Nike. Meanwhile, the athletes themselves often come from impoverished backgrounds and are penalized if someone wants to treat them to a decent meal at a restaurant. Mr. Blynn's' heart is in the right place, but he is thinking in terms of a by-gone era that ceased to exist long ago at the Division 1 level. College sports is a huge business, and it's past time to acknowledge that the "student-athletes" are mercenaries to bring in the big bucks while getting nothing in return except for tuition plus room and board.
LTE 4: Not familiar with the area, but it sounds like a nice plan.
LTE 5: "Boycotting a business because you do not agree with its philosophies ... is the same to me as burning books" - not sure I buy the analogy. A burned book can never be read again, whereas a boycotted company can still continue as long as it has sufficient customers. I do find it disturbing that you now get politically labeled simply by which restaurants you like or which products you use. I've eaten at CFA many times over the years and I've ordered from Amazon many times over the years. My professional career is built around Microsoft products. Eating food and using products should not be a political statement, but unfortunately the evils of politics have ruined even the simplest of pleasures.
"Asking people to tolerate your hatred and intolerance is way over the top."
DeleteGood observation, dotnet, and pertinent to some comments posted in this forum.
I've never really eaten at CfiA, but I will do so from now on. I found eating the company's sandwiches highly pleasurable recently, if for no other reason than knowing by doing so, I was pissing off liberals.
DeleteThe franchisees will no doubt appreciate the business. I doubt very many liberals will waste the time being PO'ed. Bon appetit.
DeleteI've got 9 left in the frige. Ate one for lunch. And it felt good going down.
DeleteWell, the Chicago political bum in Obama has finally come out. He's accusing Romney of stealing from the poor and giving it to the rich. Which is a completely false analogy, but he doesn't care. Obama is even using the term 'Romneyhood' in the ridculous analogy.
ReplyDeleteWhat's ironic is that we'll all be living in the 'hood' soon, alright. But it'll be 'Obamahood', because he'll have made America into a socialistic ghetto for all.
Carter is suppose to speak at the Democratic Convention in Charlotte. Carter's presidential past will be symbolic of Obama's presidency, and our future if he is reelected.
Carter's speaking has ruffled some feathers due to his anti-Israel positions.
DeleteRe Obama's claims re Romneyhood:
DeleteBoth sides have plopped into the gutter, and are dishing out patent untruths. Romney's campaign accuses Obama of undoing the Welfare to Work law. This is incorrect. States are given the right to modify portions of the law provided they INCREASE the hiring of welfare recipients. Both Obama and Romney should be ashamed of the medacity spewing from their campaigns.
Late last year, President Barack Obama stated, “We’re going to look every single day to figure out what we can do without Congress.”[50] He has followed through on that promise, weakening legal requirements enacted by Congress regarding immigration,[51] education funding,[52] and now welfare. But the President’s power to act unilaterally in domestic affairs is limited both by his constitutional obligation to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed”[53] and by the laws that Congress passes.
DeleteIn this instance, the President has chosen to disregard that obligation. There is absolutely no indication, in the text of the 1996 Act or otherwise, that Congress intended to allow the waiver of that Act’s centerpiece provision: its work requirements. To the contrary, Congress placed them in a stand-alone section not subject to waiver authority, gave them independent force and effect, and even precluded their waiver for state welfare plans approved during the interim period following passage of the 1996 Act.
To waive those requirements is a violation of the law, a violation of the Constitution’s vesting of legislative power in the Congress, and a violation of the President’s fundamental duty to faithfully carry out the laws.
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/08/welfare-reforms-work-requirements-cannot-be-waived
_________
Romney was talking about the 'work' requirement for welfare recepients.
"It President Obama didn't want people to think that he was going to waive the central worker requirement in welfare reform, his administration shouldn't have written a memo saying it was going to waive the central worker requirement in welfare reform," Andrea Saul said on CNN's "Starting Point."
Delete________
I haven't seen the memo, but it sounds like Obama screwed up. What else is new right?
CNN is full campaign mode for Obama. Almost every article that deals with the presidential campaign, CNN slams Romney.
DeleteStates are required to INCREASE hiring for welfare recipients in order to modify the rules. I believe those hired recipients will indeed have to work. The point is both campaigns are slinging mendacious lightning bolts intended to inflame not illuminate. It is a disgusting spectacle.
DeleteWhat I think is notable is the fact that Obama is all to willing to circumvent Congress at every turn by utilizing executive orders. Most of us want Congress to stop anything and everything Obama has in mind, because he's usually going to push another 'screw-up' project.
DeleteHe peed away a $1 trillion dollars on a 'stimulus' program that went nowhere, millions for Solyndra, $1.76 trillion for a healthcare program we can't afford. In essence, he needs to be watched closely, and kept in check.
Obama and his liberal cronies seem to thing the U.S. economy is some type of monopoly game.
DeleteIt's real. I can assure you all. I've lost enough money under this inept administration.
Jere Longman, a writer for the NY Times must be related to Rush. In a despicable act, he trashed LoLo Jones, the Olympic track star, just two days before her race.
ReplyDelete________
With the emergence of blog sites like the Huffington Post and the Daily Beast, traditional print publications like the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune are a dying bread. ‘Print is dead,’ is what most have been saying for the past few years and now we are seeing great publications resort to tabloid tactics to try to generate readers.
I never thought I’d see a writer from the New York Times look as desperate as Jere Longman looked this week, when he trashed Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones before she even ran her event
http://www.thenewsburner.com/2012/08/08/jere-longman-desperate-for-sensational-headlines-trashes-lolo-jones/
Here's what she looks like, in case you haven't heard of her.
Deletehttp://olympicgirls.net/lolo-jones/
I think everybody in here knows that Rush is full of it by now.
ReplyDeleteHere's yet another example of his foolishness. Remember how Rush claimed that illegals pay in more in taxes than they receive in social services. Well here's an article that shows that, in fact, illegals receive more in 'refunds' than they pay into the system. So that means that practically every dollar that they and their families receive in social services from the federal government is a net drain on the legitimate taxpayers of the U.S.
The IRS found out that 24,000 tax refunds were sent to one address in Atlanta. Hello.....is anybody watching the store? Certainly, not Obama.
http://cis.org/child-tax-credits-2011