| News That Matters Brought to you (Almost Daily) by PlanPutnam.Org | ||
| Contact Us | Shop Putnam | Putnam Outdoors | RSS Feed | Visit the Blog | Visit our Sponsor | Donate | Blogsite | Events | ||
| | ||
| Good Wednesday Morning, Putnam Valley resident Judy Allen reminds us that you have until October 8th to register to vote if you have not yet done so. You can download a PDF form from the Board of Elections here and request an absentee ballot here. Fall is coming and winter is close behind so it's time for those end-of-summer chores like getting your house sealed up and your firewood split and stacked. And it just so happens that two of our supporters (over there in the sidebar) can help you with both. TaconicArts is a painting company, (licensed and insured with Putnam County,) with special rates for "News That Matters" readers and "Out on a Limb" can provide you with seasoned firewood. Give them both a call.  Op Hike MikeGreg Ball has resorted to hiding behind the skirts of women who belong to an organization called "Women 4 Ball" and the bad pun is not, I am sure, unintended. It's like shouting that you're single and lonely and can't get a date and so hang around the debonair Ballster who also can't seem to get a date. Though, he does seem to surround himself with fine young men and that just zippers open another can of worms. (They shouldn't let me write write about Greg this early in the morning.) I swear, being a "Women 4 Ball" is like being a Log Cabin Republican except that the Loggers get dates once in a while. Anyway, the point is that another affinity group, Women for Kaplowitz, (which does not hold the pizazz of being Balled,) held a rally at the courthouse calling for equal pay for women and about 15 of Ball's gals showed up with their hot-pink signs and their voices hoarse with indignation against equal pay for women.News Briefs:
And now, The news:
Even Living Among Us, Coyotes Remain a MysteryWith a chorus of howls and yips wild enough to fill a vast night sky, the coyote has ignited the imagination of one culture after another. In many American Indian mythologies, it is celebrated as the Trickster, a figure by turns godlike, idiotic and astoundingly sexually perverse. In the Navajo tradition the coyote is revered as God’s dog. When European colonists encountered the species, they were of two minds, heralding it as an icon of the expansive West and vilifying it as the ultimate varmint, the bloodthirsty bane of sheep and cattle ranchers.Mark Twain was so struck when he first saw that “long, slim, sick and sorry-looking skeleton, with a gray wolfskin stretched over it” that he called it “a living, breathing allegory of Want.” And Twain’s description itself was so vivid, it inspired the animator Chuck Jones to create that perennial failure known to cartoon-loving children everywhere, Wile E. Coyote of Road Runner-hating fame. Yet as familiar as the coyote seems, these animals remain remarkably poorly understood. They have remained elusive despite fantastic ecological success that has been described as “a story of unparalleled range expansion,” as they have moved over the last century from the constrictions of their prairie haunts to colonize every habitat from wild to urban, from coast to coast. And they have retained their mystery even as interest has intensified with increasing coyote-human interactions — including incidents of coyotes dragging off small dogs and cats, and even (extremely rarely) attacks on people, from Los Angeles to the northern suburbs of New York City, where four children were attacked in separate incidents this summer. Read More As L.S.S.I. Takes Over Libraries, Patrons Can’t Keep QuietJ. Emilio Flores for The New York TimesSANTA CLARITA, Calif. — A private company in Maryland has taken over public libraries in ailing cities in California, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas, growing into the country’s fifth-largest library system. The basic pitch that the company Library Systems & Services makes to cities is that it fixes broken libraries — often by cleaning house. Now the company, Library Systems & Services, has been hired for the first time to run a system in a relatively healthy city, setting off an intense and often acrimonious debate about the role of outsourcing in a ravaged economy. A $4 million deal to run the three libraries here is a chance for the company to demonstrate that a dose of private management can be good for communities, whatever their financial situation. But in an era when outsourcing is most often an act of budget desperation — with janitors, police forces and even entire city halls farmed out in one town or another — the contract in Santa Clarita has touched a deep nerve and begun a round of second-guessing. Can a municipal service like a library hold so central a place that it should be entrusted to a profit-driven contractor only as a last resort — and maybe not even then? Read More Tiny Upstate New York Town Wants Local Muslims to Dig Up Their CemeteryA town in upstate New York is trying to force a local Muslim religious community to dig up a small cemetery on its property and never bury anyone there again because it says it's illegal."What we would not want is an unauthorized cemetery," says Bob McCarthy, town supervisor of the Delaware County town of Sidney, population 5,993. "We're taking care of a bunch of cemeteries, and they just came in and buried the bodies, and didn't go through...there's no funding there, it's not a standard kind of deal, and it's going to become a liability to the town." So what steps have the Muslims skipped? "I don't know what the exact law is," he says. Which is the problem; because whether or not the town government likes it, there are no laws in Sidney -- or New York state, for that matter -- covering cemeteries on private land -- religious cemeteries included. Plus, the town approved the cemetery in 2005. Read More Progressives: Obama Remarks Are "Condescending"President Barack Obama’s lecture to his supporters to snap out of their lethargy is getting a frosty reception from some on the left side of the Democratic coalition.In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Obama made a point to argue — “with intensity and passion, repeatedly stabbing the air with his finger” according to the magazine — that his followers in 2008 must not stay home this year. “It is inexcusable for any Democrat or progressive right now to stand on the sidelines in this midterm election,” Obama said. Whatever complaints they might have about climate change or other issues, Obama said, it is “just irresponsible” that some Democrats and progressives were lacking enthusiasm for the election. “If people now want to take their ball and go home that tells me folks weren't serious in the first place,” he said. “If you're serious, now's exactly the time that people have to step up.” “I think it is a remarkably condescending message,” said Darcy Burner, the executive director of ProgressCongress.org and the Progressive Congress Action Fund. Read More US Military Needs to Get Off Oil by 2040: ReportThe United States military must entirely get off oil by 2040 if it wants to reduce operational vulnerabilities, reduce costs, stop new security risks caused by climate change and avoid the coming peak oil supply crunch. That's the word from the Center For a New American Security, whose Fueling the Future Force report details the hows and whys of the situation.Petroleum is 77% of Military Energy Supply Report authors Christine Parthemore and Dr. John Nagl say, "Reducing dependency on petroleum will help ensure the long-term ability of the military to carry out its assigned missions. Moving beyond petroleum will allow DoD to lead in the development of innovative technologies that can benefit the nation more broadly, while signaling to the world that the United States has an innovative and adaptable force." How big is that dependency? Currently US forces rely on petroleum for 77.2% of all energy needs, with "other electric" sources coming in second at 11.4% and natural gas coming at 8.4%. Read More Survey: Americans don't know much about religionBy Rachel ZollA new survey of Americans' knowledge of religion found that atheists, agnostics, Jews and Mormons outperformed Protestants and Roman Catholics in answering questions about major religions, while many respondents could not correctly give the most basic tenets of their own faiths. Forty-five percent of Roman Catholics who participated in the study didn't know that, according to church teaching, the bread and wine used in Holy Communion is not just a symbol, but becomes the body and blood of Christ. More than half of Protestants could not identify Martin Luther as the person who inspired the Protestant Reformation. And about four in 10 Jews did not know that Maimonides, one of the greatest rabbis and intellectuals in history, was Jewish. The survey released Tuesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life aimed to test a broad range of religious knowledge, including understanding of the Bible, core teachings of different faiths and major figures in religious history. The U.S. is one of the most religious countries in the developed world, especially compared to largely secular Western Europe, but faith leaders and educators have long lamented that Americans still know relatively little about religion. Read More Modern cargo ships slow to the speed of the sailing clippersThe world's largest cargo ships are travelling at lower speeds today than sailing clippers such as the Cutty Sark did more than 130 years ago.A combination of the recession and growing awareness in the shipping industry about climate change emissions encouraged many ship owners to adopt "slow steaming" to save fuel two years ago. This lowered speeds from the standard 25 knots to 20 knots, but many major companies have now taken this a stage further by adopting "super-slow steaming" at speeds of 12 knots (about 14mph). Travel times between the US and China, or between Australia and Europe, are now comparable to those of the great age of sail in the 19th century. American clippers reached 14 to 17 knots in the 1850s, with the fastest recording speeds of 22 knots or more. Read More |
| |
| Copyright © 2010 News That Matters | ||
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
News That Matters - Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
News That Matters - Monday, September 27, 2010
| News That Matters Brought to you (Almost Daily) by PlanPutnam.Org | ||
| Contact Us | Shop Putnam | Putnam Outdoors | RSS Feed | Visit the Blog | Visit our Sponsor | Donate | Blogsite | Events | ||
| | ||
| Good Monday Morning, This is Banned Books Week a twenty-nine year old event by the American Library Association to remind us that in this land of freedom and justice for all we still haven't gotten there. For the record, paper burns at 451 degrees Fahrenheit but in some places in this Land of Liberty you can't read about it. And, you can't read the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in some school districts because some people are unable to put things into historical perspective and believe the world began in 1983. And some kids can't read Catcher in the Rye because some old guy hits on an adventurous teen and that just never happens in real life. And if it does, your kid should not have any background in how to deal with it. In fact, most books that are banned are done so over sexually explicit subjects which is exactly what you'd expect from a sexually repressed nation. But murder, violence and mayhem are all just fine. America! What a country! At about 2PM on Saturday I received a phone call from Sylvia wanting to know if it was alright if she brought some friends. "Of course", I said. Then she asked if it was okay if they brought some instruments. "Of course", I said. It wasn't much after that they showed up, cleared off the back deck, hooked up their amps and played for the crowd. When John, the steel-guitar player had to head downstate for a (paid) gig Tim and Cody, both on guitar with Sylvia's voice, hit the firepit where they, joined by Maggie and Gary, and played until nearly 1AM. Next Saturday, October 2, Walkway Over the Hudson will celebrate its first anniversary. While visitor projections for 2010 were in the 300,000 range, more than 700,000 people have walked the walk making it the number one attraction in the Hudson Valley and generating a ton of business for Highland and Poughkeepsie... an example of tourism dollars well spent. Last week Mike Kaplowitz' campaign challenged Greg Ball to attend 7 debates throughout the district to which Greg responded that he was happy that Mike had "finally gotten around to talking about debates". But then Greg proposed not the seven but fourteen and then could not seem to commit to even the first seven. Today at noon, Mike Kaplowitz will have a representative from his campaign at the Carmel Diner to meet with an equal party from the Ball camp to set up the schedule...assuming the Ball camp shows. However, the first meeting of these two will be tomorrow night (Tuesday, September 28) at the Mahopac Library in a forum hosted by the Concerned Residents of Carmel and Mahopac which will also include the county executive candidates and *that* will be something to watch. Will the Senator set aside the rhetoric and talk about real issues? We shall see! I'm currently in rehearsal for a show I'm managing down in the city later this month and I won't be able to attend so I'm asking those of you who do go to write up a report for Wednesday's column and to send it here. Taking a page from the Bush administration's playbook, the Obama administration is proposing new regulations that would give law enforcement sweeping new powers over your activities on the 'net. In other words, more wiretaps, less encryption (for you!), less privacy and a remolding of the 'net that would eliminate the freedom and access you now have... unless you don't mind the Feds snooping in your activities - without your knowledge. Law enforcement claims they need access to your personal business online to insure domestic tranquility (or something) but it's just another attempt by those who truly do hate our freedoms to lock the nation down. So, to all you 'baggers out there who see President Obama as a socialist, a hearty Bronx Cheer! as he's only proving that he's just as much of a conservative as was Dick Cheney. A 22 year-old sex offender has moved into Lake Carmel and police went door-to-door alerting people that he was now living there and reminding them that it was illegal to assault him. But the police do not go door-to-door when a robber or thief or someone continuously convicted of physical assault moves in even though their recidivism rate is demonstrably higher. And they don't knock on corporate doors when a white-collar criminal is released from prison - and we know he'll do it again. If we're going on witch-hunts maybe we need a little equity in the system. And now, The News:
Beacon, Fishkill riders get shuttle for freeFrom The Poughkeepsiejournal.comBEACON — Heading into the holiday shopping season, city officials waived the $2 fee for riding the Beacon Local Transit shuttle, which travels between Main Street in Beacon and Main Street in the Village of Fishkill. The shuttle service, which began in mid-August, is slated to extend into the upcoming holiday season, Beacon officials said, with riders now being asked to make a suggested donation of whatever they can afford. The change came with the recent clarification of local law. "If we wound up charging anything we would have had to run the shuttle as a livery service," Beacon Chamber of Commerce Main Street Manager Pat Manning said. Shortly after the shuttle's launch this summer, locals nicknamed the shuttle the "BLT." "Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch?" Manning said. Read More In Passive-House Standards, a Brighter Shade of GreenHerb Swanson for The New York TimesWHEN Barbara Landau, an environmental and land-use lawyer in suburban Boston, was shopping for insurance on the energy-efficient home she and her husband were building in the woods just outside of town here, she was routinely asked what sort of furnace the home would have. “None,” she replied. Several insurers declined coverage. “They just didn’t understand what we were trying to do,” Mrs. Landau recalls. “They said the pipes would freeze.” They won’t. A so-called passive home like the one the Landaus are now building is so purposefully designed and built — from its orientation toward the sun and superthick insulation to its algorithmic design and virtually unbroken air envelope — that it requires minimal heating, even in chilly New England. Contrary to some naysayers’ concerns, the Landaus’ timber-frame home will be neither stuffy nor, at 2,000 square feet, oppressively small. Read More Poll: U.S. Wants More Health Reform, Not LessWASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2010(AP) President Barack Obama's health care overhaul has divided the nation, and Republicans believe their call for repeal will help them win elections in November. But the picture's not that clear-cut. A new AP poll finds that Americans who think the law should have done more outnumber those who think the government should stay out of health care by 2-to-1. "I was disappointed that it didn't provide universal coverage," said Bronwyn Bleakley, 35, a biology professor from Easton, Mass. More than 30 million people would gain coverage in 2019 when the law is fully phased in, but another 20 million or so would remain uninsured. Bleakley, who was uninsured early in her career, views the overhaul as a work in progress. The poll found that about four in 10 adults think the new law did not go far enough to change the health care system, regardless of whether they support the law, oppose it or remain neutral. On the other side, about one in five say they oppose the law because they think the federal government should not be involved in health care at all. Read More FactChecking ‘The Pledge’By Brooks Jackson, on September 24th, 2010This article was first posted at FactCheck.org by Brooks Jackson. The Republican “Pledge to America,” released Sept. 23, contains some dubious factual claims: * It declares that “the only parts of the economy expanding are government and our national debt.” Not true. So far this year government employment has declined slightly, while private sector employment has increased by 763,000 jobs. * It says that “jobless claims continue to soar,” when in fact they are down eight percent from their worst levels. * It repeats a bogus assertion that the Internal Revenue Service may need to expand by 16,500 positions, an inflated estimate based on false assumptions and guesswork. * It claims the stimulus bill is costing $1 trillion, considerably more than the $814 billion, 10-year price tag currently estimated by nonpartisan congressional budget experts. * It says Obama’s tax proposals would raise taxes on “roughly half the small business income in America,” an exaggeration. Much of the income the GOP is counting actually comes from big businesses making over $50 million a year. For details on these and other examples please read on to the Analysis section. Read More Banned Books Week: Read all about itMaybe you won't be surprised to learn that some offended readers have tried to limit access to "The Color Purple," with its depictions of race and abuse. Or "Heather Has Two Mommies."But "Fahrenheit 451" -- a book about censorship? Or Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary? Or perennial kindergarten favorite "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" Those are just three of the books that Associated Content's Pam Gaulin unearthed in a piece on 10 banned books you might not expect. For nearly 30 years, the American Library Association has observed Banned Books Week, an annual tribute to the First Amendment and the "freedom to read." This year's just began; it runs throughout the coming week, Sept. 25 to Oct. 2. Read More U.S. Is Working to Ease Wiretaps on the InternetWASHINGTON — Federal law enforcement and national security officials are preparing to seek sweeping new regulations for the Internet, arguing that their ability to wiretap criminal and terrorism suspects is “going dark” as people increasingly communicate online instead of by telephone.Essentially, officials want Congress to require all services that enable communications — including encrypted e-mail transmitters like BlackBerry, social networking Web sites like Facebook and software that allows direct “peer to peer” messaging like Skype — to be technically capable of complying if served with a wiretap order. The mandate would include being able to intercept and unscramble encrypted messages. The bill, which the Obama administration plans to submit to lawmakers next year, raises fresh questions about how to balance security needs with protecting privacy and fostering innovation. And because security services around the world face the same problem, it could set an example that is copied globally. James X. Dempsey, vice president of the Center for Democracy and Technology, an Internet policy group, said the proposal had “huge implications” and challenged “fundamental elements of the Internet revolution” — including its decentralized design. Read More |
| |
| Copyright © 2010 News That Matters | ||
At one point late into the night as I was on my way back from the field after walking a departing guest to their car, I could see the soft glow of the fire reflecting off the trees at the edge of the forest and hear the harmonized voices of dozens of people singing an old familiar song, the high-intensity buzz of others silhouetted in the light chatting, eating and drinking, dogs running and children playing. It was quite a moment and the one I'll most remember.
Friday, September 24, 2010
News That Matters - Friday, September 24, 2010 - Things To Do Edition
| News That Matters Brought to you (Almost Daily) by PlanPutnam.Org | |||
| Contact Us | Shop Putnam | Putnam Outdoors | RSS Feed | Visit the Blog | Visit our Sponsor | Donate | Blogsite | Events | |||
| | |||
| Good Friday morning, It's been a glorious week as far as the weather goes even down to that wicked thunderstorm on Wednesday night. But fall is coming and winter is close behind so it's time for those end-of-summer chores like getting your house sealed up and your firewood split and stacked. And it just so happens that two of our supporters (over there in the sidebar) can help you with both. TaconicArts is a painting company, (licensed and insured with Putnam County,) with special rates for "News That Matters" readers and "Out on a Limb" can provide you with seasoned firewood. Give them both a call. As the fall season comes on and our trees drop their leaves it's important to remember that blowing them out into the street (your grass clippings, too) poses a threat to our water supplies, lakes, streams and rivers. All that harbored carbon and nitrogen and phosphorus break down and end up flowing down the road to the lowest point - which is usually one of our lakes - causing increases in the very chemicals we're trying to avoid. And you know what happens when that happens! Run them over with a lawn mower instead (a double-bladed thatching mower is best) and then if you must rake that up, find a handy corner and compost them. Come next spring you'll be happy you did! For more information on stormwater and what the common mistakes homeowners make in that regard, check out the Town of Kent's Stormwater Management Committee's website. There you'll find some good information but more important, are four short Public Service videos that I am certain will entertain and inform at the same time. Watch them with your kids, too! The local Congressional race is heating up with Nan Hayworth running on $141,330 from the American Academy of Ophthalmology(?) and $667 from the NRA. On the other hand, John Hall did not get any money from the health industry (I guess they're upset they only got a trillion dollar hand-out and not more) and the NRA has spent $351 against him. I have to wonder if support for Republicans is a knee-jerk reaction for the NRA or if support for Republicans is a knee jerk reaction for the NRA because when it comes down to it I haven't seen Hall advocating the disarming of the American public. So what is it with those guys? "News That Matters" has at least two NRA members as readers that I know of so maybe they'll pipe in on this.in the State Senate race, the Kaplowitz camp has been going gangbusters and running an active and aggressive campaign. I'm guessing the Ballster is still in the race though he's been vewy vewy quiet. Don't me wrong, I love all of you but how can you, being educated, vote for Greg Ball? Here's a guy who costs taxpayers over $800,000 a year in salary, mailings and office expenses and has generated, well... um... nothing in terms of legislation or his much touted reform. He sure as heck talks the talk but he's not walking the walk and he never has.I'm in need of a new(er) refrigerator. Mine is running just fine. Problem is that it won't stop for more than a few minutes before taking off again. And let me tell you, I'm tired of chasing it! (and paying an electric bill more inline with a family of 6 than a family of two (if you count the dog). If you've got one you need to get rid of that's a tad newer than the one here in the Asylum, please drop me a note. I can get a pickup or a trailer (thanks MG!) and take it off your hands. See y'all tomorrow. What's Going On
Friday, September 24"Dolores"8PM at Arts on the Lake, Lake Carmel, NY. Presented by the Liberty Free Theatre. Directed by Paul Austin and featuring Janna Comando and Kate Warren, Dolores presents the fraught, adult relationship between two very different working-class sisters. When Dolores shows up with a black eye from husband #3 at her sister Sandra’s 1983 Rhode Island home, what began as a quiet Sunday alone for Sandra turns into a confrontation of skeletons through humor, wit, and pain. Saturday, September 25
Gallery Talk: Jenelle Porter on Agnes Martin2pm at Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries 3 Beekman Street, Beacon, NY 12508. 845 440 0100 www.diaart.org Frogs Plein Air Painting DayCalling all artists to the Friends of the Great Swamp (FrOGS) Second Annual Plein Air Painting Day on Saturday, September 25th. Locations in this beautiful watershed area include the east branch of the Croton River and Turtle Pond in Patterson; and Ray Lake and Quaker Hill in Pawling, among many others. The artists’ works will be auctioned off on October 2nd for the benefit of the artists and FrOGS research and education programs. For information and registration forms visit http://www.frogs-ny.org/PleinAir.shtml or call Laurie Wallace at 845-279-8858. Sunday, September 26International Day of Peace Celebration2PM-5PM The Bard College Chaplaincy presents Voices of Light, the inaugural concert of a Sacred Music Festival Series on Sunday, September 26 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Bard College Chapel. This interfaith celebration, brought together by the Bard College Chaplaincy, Kathleen Mandeville’s IgniVox Productions, and United Religions Initiative consultant Linda Lauretta, is the inaugural event for an ongoing sacred music festival series. The concert coincides with the International Day of Peace, honoring humanity’s eternal longing for peace. Voices of Light will bring together musicians, celebrants, and performers from a diverse range of cultures and beliefs. Bereznak Brothers[Ed note: These boys are from Lake Carmel and they're hot. If you haven't checked them out, here's your chance. Just don't let Dave sing "Car Show".] Into The Future:Tuesday, September 28
7PM at the Mahopac Library. CRCM presents their a candidates forum for the 2010 general elections. Those invited are candidates for Putnam County Executive, Putnam County Legislator from Districts 5 & 9, NY State Senator, NY State Assemblyman, and Congressional Representative have been invited to participate on the panel. Friday, October 1
Sunday, October 3
Tuesday, October 5
Wednesday, October 6
Friday, October 22
|
| ||
| Copyright © 2010 News That Matters | |||
It's an all day pot-luck BYOF/B type of thing. Kids, dogs, and whatever during the day, (and not so) raucous debauchery at night around the fire. If you've been here before you know the drill. If not, there's nothing to know other than to show up and everyone, even Greg Ball, is welcome. 
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)