Thursday, May 27, 2010

Share The Road

A Bike Tool Kit

Here are some essentials you'll want to have in your bicycle tool kit:

* Stamped steel wrenches with tire irons for handles.

* A 6-inch adjustable wrench, which works when the stamped-steel wrenches don't.

* A pocket knife, complete with an array of different blades.

* Needlenose pliers with a built-in wire cutter to cut cables and clamp a brake or derailleur cable.

* Pocket-size Channelock arc-joint pliers for gripping all sorts of parts.

* A repair kit for flat tires


Rodale's Book of Hints, Tips & Everyday Wisdom
pg. 336
published 1985
Rodale Press, Inc.

On A First & Last Name Basis

Santorum has some advice for tea party

Conservative champion says Rand Paul-types go too far. He also dismisses Sestak as "loose cannon."

Campaign 2010/2012 By Thomas Fitzgerald
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

HARRISBURG - Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, a potential Republican presidential candidate, warned Monday that conservatives should be wary of the libertarian strain of thought in the "tea party" movement.

Santorum was responding to a question about Kentucky's Republican Senate nominee Rand Paul, who last week said the federal government had no right to bar private businesses, such as restaurants, from discriminating on the basis of race, as it did in the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

"I don't think the libertarians have it right when it comes to what the constitution is all about . . . or when it comes to our history," Santorum said at the Pennsylvania Press Club. "When there are clear wrongs in society, injustice in society - sure, you handle it at the local level if you can - but when the local and state governments are in cahoots with the injustice, then the federal government has to step in and do something."

After denunciations from the left and right, Rand backed away from his position and affirmed support for the public-accommodations section of the law. Santorum, along with most Republican officials, supported Paul's opponent in last Tuesday's primary, Trey Grayson.

Santorum also dismissed Pennsylvania's Democratic Senate candidate Joe Sestak as "a loose cannon" and predicted a November victory for Republican Pat Toomey.

Santorum said he notices a "sense of anxiety" among Americans as he stumps for conservative causes. Repeat trips to Iowa, South Carolina and New

See Santorum on B8


A.A.(P) Editor's Note: If you choose to click the link and read the 2010/2012 column jump, be prepared to be appalled by Former Senator Santorum's view & opinions though it really shouldn't be a surprise to those who know his record.

Random Coinage

Yesterday, after drinking a 16 oz. can of Yeungling Premium at Dakotah's ($1.25 all the time), left a $0.75 tip of three quarters.

They were:








For More Commemorative Coins Click Here

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Philadelphia Flyers Advance to Lord Stanley Cup Finals Against Chicago Blackhawks

Flyers Win Eastern Conference; Defeat Montreal Canadiens

Recap:

Game 1 - Flyers, 6-0
Game 2 - Flyers, 3-0
Game 3 - Canadiens, 5-1
Game 4 - Flyers, 3-0
Game 5 - Flyers, 4-2

Monday, May 24, 2010

Blinking Red Traffic Light Needed

Link: A blinking red traffic light strung here would be good.

Note: At the corner of Aramingo Ave. & Norris St., three one-way streets (Aramingo, Norris, and Moyer St.) meet. Drivers on Aramingo Ave tend to turn onto Norris St. at a high speed. Also, there are blind spots for drivers and pedestrians on all corners/directions.






Unrelated:

The Police - Roxanne

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Port Richmond Pedestrians Beware

Warning: Hidden Yellow School Bus Lot @ Richmond St./Somerset St.

Note: There is no advance warning for Pedestrians re: Buses entering & exiting lot. Buses tend to enter & exit said lot at a high rate of speed. Also, there are really bad blind spots for both the bus driver & unaware pedestrians.














Monday, May 17, 2010

Right Is Wrong (Continued)

Head Strong: Senate needs Specter's pragmatism

He has angered me, too.

In my case, it was in 1987, when Arlen Specter was torpedoing the Supreme Court nomination of Robert Bork. I then believed Bork was qualified. At the time, Specter said he had "substantial doubt as to how [Bork] would apply fundamental principles of constitutional law."

I'm not alone. Over the years, Specter has upset just about everybody at one time or another.

Conservatives have been angry about Specter's treatment of Bork, his "not proven" vote in the Clinton impeachment, and his support for stem cell research. Liberals, particularly women, did not appreciate his aggressive cross-examination of Anita Hill during Clarence Thomas' Supreme Court confirmation hearings. More recently, he bucked organized labor by refusing to support card-check legislation. Even conspiracy theorists have gotten hostile, deriding his single-bullet theory in the JFK assassination.

Which is exactly why we need him in the U.S. Senate.


excerpt from column by Michael Smerconish
Insights & Observations Page
Philadelphia Inquirer
Published Sunday, May 16th, 2010




More Commentary:

Closing Arguments - Kagan at home with typical liberal thinking

Real people and fresh ideas aren't the nominee's forte.

click above for Column by John Yoo
Ibid

Monday, May 10, 2010

Clean Plate

Grilled Jerk Chicken with Pineapple and Red Pepper

Adapted from Runner’s World
By Casey Ann Francis

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper, quartered
4 thick, fresh pineapple slices
canola oil
1 1/2 tbsp jerk seasoning
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Directions:

Oil the grate and heat the grill to medium-high. Toss a quartered red bell pepper and 4 thick pineapple slices in a medium bowl with canola oil to coat. Remove and sprinkle bell pepper with salt. In the same bowl, combine 1 1/2 tablespoons jerk seasoning and 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Add 4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds) and toss to coat. Grill chicken, pepper, and pineapple about 10 minutes, turning once.


Click Here for related article worth reading by C.A. Francis

published in The Spirit Community Newswpapers
05.MAY.10

Friday, May 7, 2010

Legal Matters

A clear and legitimate agreement with you,

Belove Friend,

My name is George Wallance , a solicitor at law. I was the personal attorney to Eng, John McPherson,a citizen of your country who used to work with an oil servicing company here in Netherlands after which be referred to as my client. Eng, John McPherson 62 years of age made a fixed deposit of fund valued at USD$12,500,000 (Twelve Million, Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars Only) with a Security Company/Finance institution here in Netherlands and unfortunately lost his life in an Egyptian charter plane Boeing 737 . which crashed into the Red Sea early on January 4 shortly after taking off from the resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all the 135 passengers and 13 crew members aboard, Ref: (View: deleted). He left no clear beneficiary as Next of Kin except some vital documents related to the deposit still in my possession.

Recently, the governing body of the Security Company/Finance institution contacted me on this matter, requesting that I should notify the next of kin of my late client to claim the funds and I am yet to provide the Next of Kin to lay claims to the Fund. I know that my client had no living next of kin but i have made lots of search to see if i can get in contact to any of his relatives but my search was fruitless to locate any of my late clients extended relatives. A clear and legitimate agreement with you, I seek your consent to present you as the next of kin so that my late client's fund will not be confiscated by
the Financial Regulatory Authority.


You and I will share the money, you will be entitled to 50% of the total fund for your role as the relative and next of kin of my late client, 40% for me while 10% is to be marked out for any expenses that will be incurred during the clearance or process of transfer of the fund to your bank account. Be informed that there is no risk involved as all necessary legal document which will be used to back you up as the legal beneficiary and next of kin of my late client will be procured.

All I require is your sincerity, honesty, co-operation and utmost good faiths to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under a legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. Kindly, get in touch with me by my e-mail (deleted) to enable us discuss further. You may also send your telephone number so that I can call you. Do not forget that a transaction of this magnitude require utmost confidentiality and sincerity.


I look forward to your urgent response.

Thank you,


For: Attorney George Wallance
Email:(deleted)

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Right Is Wrong

Note: The following excerpt is not a parody but part of an actual column published Sunday, May 2nd, in The Philadelphia Inquirer on the "Insights & Observations" page of the Currents/Editorial Section.


Supreme Court Sanity Calls For Filibusters

To restore its proper role and keep away Obama nominees, GOP senators can try Democrats' tactics.

Should senators filibuster Elena Kagan, Merrick Garland, or Diane Wood for the Supreme Court? Yes, if there is any hope of fixing the broken appointment process and restoring limited constitutional government.

The three are the most-often-mentioned nominees for the seat of Justice John Paul Stevens, 90, who last month announced his retirement after 35 years on the high court. A filibuster to prevent a confirmation vote on his replacement would have little to do with these three distinguished lawyers, and everything to do with President Obama and his Senate allies.

Over the years, Senate Democrats have destroyed the confirmation process by turning it away from qualifications to a guessing game over how court nominees might vote on hot-button issues such as abortion, the death penalty, and racial quotas. They began the degradation of the advise and consent role with the 1987 rejection of Judge Robert Bork, who would have been one of the most qualified justices in the history of the Supreme Court, and the outrageous effort in 1991 to smear Clarence Thomas (for whom I served as a law clerk). They continued the descent with the filibuster of a slate of excellent picks for the lower courts by George W. Bush, and they reached a new low with their votes against John G. Roberts Jr. and an attempted filibuster against Samuel A. Alito Jr.

Gone was any deference for a president's choice. Dismissed was any thought of respecting a nominee's refusal to prejudge cases. Senate Democrats would try to stop the second coming of Oliver Wendell Holmes. Obama outlined the new standard in 2005. The senator from Illinois admitted that Roberts was highly qualified, but voted against him because "it is my personal estimation that he has far more often used his formidable skills on behalf of the strong in opposition to the weak." Obama did not oppose Roberts because of a specific lower court decision, or any speech, article, or book, but because he disagreed with his "deepest values," his "core concerns," his "broad perspective," and the "depth and breadth of [his] empathy."

This new confirmation standard allows only the mutely ambitious on the bench, lawyers whose only distinction is a silent voice and an inkless pen. Republicans can put an end to this race to the bottom only by filibustering Democrat judicial nominees in return.


Click Here For Complete "Closing Arguments" Column by John Yoo

Monday, May 3, 2010

Branch Closure

"The Fishtown Community Branch will close on Monday, May 3rd, through Friday, June 4th, 2010, to replace interior air handlers and exterior air conditioning units."

signage posted at said location

Saturday, May 1, 2010



I-95.10

If you like art even a little bit, don’t miss the final iteration of Zoe Strauss’ I-95 project. Strauss, a South Philly native, got a camera for her 30th birthday in 2000 and started a 10-year project documenting American identity; she’s since been in the Whitney Biennial, gotten a Pew Grant and had her collection “America” named book of the year by Artforum. Strauss’ work lacks that distant, objectifying quality common to a lot of photography claiming to depict Real America (photos of sleeping homeless men would be an example on the most obvious end of the spectrum); the people in her shots are clearly there as human beings Strauss has a rapport with, not as sunsets or still-lifes. They pose for the camera, invite her into their homes and show her tattoos, scars and occasional genitals.

This is the last of the annual shows at which Strauss displays her work on the two square blocks of the pilasters that hold up the highway. Copies of pictures are $5 during the show, and at 4 p.m., when the show is over, people who have hung around can grab one picture to take home. She says she’ll be at the South Philly Taproom between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., if you want anything signed.

-- Emily Guendelsberger, Philadelphia Weekly

Sunday, 1-4pm. Free. Under I-95, Front and Mifflin sts.

click here for Zoe Strauss' Side Jawn.