Moonhowlings

Censored

One of the world’s biggest providers of Internet classified advertising abruptly shut down the “adult services” section of its U.S. Web sites this weekend, apparently in response to criticism from prosecutors that it had become a tool for prostitution.

But it was unclear whether Craigslist – an icon of the new media transformation of American society – had closed the site to placate those critics, or to hit back at them, casting itself as the victim of censorship. On its famously bare-bones Web sites, the blue-lettered link for adult services was gone. It had been replaced with a black box, containing one word: “censored.”

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Once a thread has 100 comments, I will take it down from top position and start a new one. 

We are suppose to get nice weather   for the weekend.  Won’t that be nice!  Elena and her family are camping out–campfire and all. 

Does anyone have special plans for the  long weekend?

Give up? They will all be on a panel together, September 7th, in New York.

The Screening of 9500 Liberty will have a full “cast” to debate the impact of the events in the movie and probably, the broader questions of immigration enforcement and immigration reform.

Honestly, I never would have thought that Corey would have the chutzpah to be in a real debate with knowledgeable people, not only on immigration, but what happened, specifically, in Prince William County. Hats off to Corey for having the courage to do so. I wonder what he will do when faced with facts counter to what he has been spewing. I think just a couple of my favorite inaccuracies have been “Arizona has implemented exactly what we did in PWC” and “crime increased with the immigration influx and decreased after the resolution”.

Boy, I wish I could be on that panel. I wonder if we will finally hear his explanation for the old ” over my dead body will I repeal probable cause” and, well, we all know what happened. Probable cause was repealed AND Corey is certainly still up to his horse and pony tricks!

My hope is that people will no longer extrapolate what they WISH the facts said, but instead work within the the context of truth.  No one is denying that there are problems associated with illegal immigration, but we can’t fix them if our foundation for finding solutions are based on propoganda  and inaccuracies.

Colonel Moe Davis can’t stand  terrorists and hypocrites. Colonel Davis has assisted Indiana Congressman Brad Ellsworth, a candidate for Evan Bayh’s senate seat, repudiate an attack ad made by his Republican opponent, former Senator and DC lobbyist Dan Coats. Remember Coats from the bad old days?

It seems that Dan Coats is quite the hypocrite on a few things. He needs to be careful who his friends are. He released an attack ad stating that Ellsworth voted to close Gitmo and bring prisoners to the United States. Ellsworth denies the charge.

Here’s Colonel Moe Davis:

Coates has been out of office since 1999. According to the South Bend Tribune:

SOUTH BEND — Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Brad Ellsworth is fighting back against a campaign advertisement his Republican opponent, Dan Coats, released last week.

Ellsworth held news conferences in Indianapolis, Crown Point and South Bend on Thursday to counter Coats’ ad, which says Ellsworth voted to close the federal detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and transfer suspected terrorists to prisons in the United States.

“The claim in the ad is blatantly false. I never voted to close Gitmo,” the Evansville congressman said in an interview at the St. Joseph County Democratic Party Headquarters. “I said I will look at the plan when it comes in and make a determination then if that’s something I think makes Americans secure.”

Coats’ campaign stands by the content of its ad, which cites two votes Ellsworth cast against Republican amendments that would have barred the use of federal funds for closing Guantanamo and transferring detainees to the U.S. for trial. Ellsworth said Congress already has the power to approve or deny federal funding if the president presents a plan for transferring detainees to U.S. soil.

Ellsworth added members of both parties are “pretty notorious” for using such procedural votes to create campaign fodder.

“Those are very common Washington, D.C., tactics — what we refer to as ‘gotcha votes’ for things just like this, where you can refer to them and infer something happened that didn’t,” he said.

Nice job, Colonel Davis, nice job!  Moe was the chief prosecutor at Gitmo from 2005-2007.  He can call it as he sees it because unlike Dan Coats, he was there and on the right side–fighting terrorism.  He knows first hand what Coats did and did not do.

Coats’ attack ad is linked above the video. (and the link has been fixed)

Anything to get re-elected

Many years ago, in Prince William County, there was a gang on either the BOCS or the appointed school board who were not-so-affectionately named the 4 horsemen. They were seen as enemies of the school system. It seems that the 4 horsemen have been reincarnated, after several decades, on our board of supervisors. I am trying to remember . Why they were named that?   Was it a nice way of speaking of the educational Apocalypse on the horizon or was it short for horse body parts? Perhaps those  readers  who have been around PWC for a while will remember.

But I digress….

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Once again Manassas gets media attention.  This time it isn’t Mr. Fernandez:

K K Temptations, an adult boutique, will be opening next month in Old Town Manassas.

Perhaps the first thing people need to do is clarify in their own minds what really constitues ‘porn.’ I have a sneaking suspicious we wouldn’t all agree, especially if some people thought others were watching.

I am curious if a boutique that featured magic, the occult, and earth centered religions would be greeted the same way? Would the Old Guard try to run it off also? 13 Magickal Moons is in historic Occoquan and has been for many years.

I am continually amazed at people who want free enterprize and less government until it is something a little off the beaten, non-vanilla path. Then there is great howling for the government to fix things. I guess that is better than burning people at the stake, however.

Shark Breath?

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in to the water, an 8 foot shark is caught in the Potomac River. It wasn’t just any shark. It was an 8 foot deadly bull shark.

According to the Washington Post:

Willy Dean was on the Potomac River in a 22-foot skiff Tuesday morning when he realized there was something both abnormal and enormous in his net. It was a deadly 8-foot-1bull shark, a 300-pound-plus killer that had likely been feasting on cownose rays at Cornfield Harbor, just off the shores of Point Lookout State Park.

Buh bump. Buh bump. Buh bump buhbump buhbump. . . .

“When I first seen it, it was like ‘Jaws’ — we need a bigger boat!” Dean said Thursday. “I’m not kidding you. It looked huge. I didn’t know how we were gonna get it out. It’s my first shark. I’ve been fishing here a little over 30 years, and it’s the first time I’ve even seen one.”

But it wasn’t even the only one caught on the river during what has apparently become Shark Week on the Potomac. Thomas Crowder, a commercial fisherman from St. Mary’s County, said he and his crew were cutting a net near Tall Timbers on Wednesday when an even bigger bull shark was trapped. “He couldn’t swim and breathe, and he drowned,” Crowder said. “We kept saying for years that we wanted to catch a shark. . . . And Willy gets one, and then all of the sudden we get one. What are the odds? It’s just bizarre.”

Crowder measured the shark (8 feet, 3 inches), took a few photos, then dumped it back into the river, its stomach split open to keep it from floating.

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This is an excellent thread by Charlie Grymes over on the PWCA blog. What is happening at Hellwig Park is a travesty and every tax payer should be outraged in this county.

What a scam. Listen to this. We, as in me and you and every other taxpayer, is expected to not only PAY a private Developer for their land but we will also BUILD the road the Developer needs in order gain access to his lots!

The BOCS will need to hear from citizens that we will NOT use our precious tax dollars to fund a Developers road!  On September 14th the BOCS will vote to deny or approve the Park Athority’s appeal of Planning Commission denial of this wasteful road.  I hope citizens will be willing to take the time to e-mail the Board and tell to “just say no”.

From Your Piece of the Planet

The county Park Authority must have discovered a sofa in the office that was filled with change behind the cushions. They want to spend money on an unplanned road, one that is not needed. There’s a rumor running rampant that some people are experiencing a recession and some government agencies are struggling for money… but the Park Authority thinks it is rich.

For over four years, the Park Authority has been planning new ballfields at Hellwig Park. Prince William adopted an ambitious 20-year Transportation Plan six months ago that will require $3-$4 billion in new funding to build 700 more miles of road over the next 20 years. Until very recently, the Park Authority was clear on what it needed – and no plans included bisecting the park with a new Hellwig Highway to Aden Road.

Now, the Park Authority has discovered they just gotta build a new road. On June 2, the Planning Commission approved the long-planned new entrance for the park on Bristow Road, but rejected the unplanned connection to Aden Road. On September 14 the Board of Supervisors will consider the Park Authority’s appeal of the Planning Commission’s decision.

Why would the Park Authority be so anxious to add a new project to an already underfunded list of new roads, and redirect scarce park bond money to a road project? Hint: This new road would provide access to unbuilt lots in the Liberty Oaks subdivision, saving the developer the cost of building their own road. Bonds sold to develop public parks will instead be used to subsidize a private developer.

Even more interesting, the Park Authority has committed to pay the developer who needs access to the unbuilt residential lots $315,000 for the land where the road will be built. That is significantly more than the asking price for other lots in that development. Whoever sat in that Park Authority sofa, spilling change out of their pocket, must have been loaded.

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Just when we thought it was safe to go back to the City of Manassas, we find out that the sin of sex is lurking about on Battle Street. Oh my goodness! Some Godless sinner wants to set up a shop selling ‘marital aids.’

I suppose the major question should be whether the proposed shop will fit in with the decor of Old Town Manassas or will it have a giant condom the size of Gumby outside, luring customers in. Will Mr. Buzzy be out sitting on the bench outside the shop, showing all the ladies his talents?

Perhaps the shop keeper will behave as anyone wanting to do business and keep the ‘adult’ business inside and the kiddies out. Or, if ‘marital aids’ aka sex toys are just a sideline, perhaps there will be an adult section of the store. Anyone wanting to fit in needs to meet zoning standards and town codes. The decor should match everyone else.

Manassas is no stranger to stores of this nature. There is a Fashion Fantasy clothing shop over on rt. 28 that sells considerably more than fishnet stockings. No one seemed to mind that shop and it has been there for years. All sorts of dirty little secrets can be bought at Fashion Fantasy on 28. If any of the town leaders are upset because the new shop will be in Old Town, then that is pretty hypocritical. I guess it is ok to have an erotic shop over near the trailer park but not too close to the more upscale part of town. Some things never change.

Little birds are telling me that some of the fine folks of Manassas have some fairly draconian plans to discourage customers. So much for the concept of free market. Probably those who are in the biggest tail spin over the new shop are the ones who do a lot of catalog orders. [wink wink]

UPDATE FROM NEWS & MESSENGER 9/3/10

Coming soon to a place on Battle Street

That old one was getting too long. Here is the open thread for this week.

Some of the slogans and buttons seen around town this past weekend simply do not represent the truth.  How do we break these sort of misconceptions and report history accurately?

Seen at the Glenn Beck rally

George Washington never said it or wrote it, accordingn to most  sources.

How about redefining what some of the founding fathers were?

From the Glenn Beck rally

Right Wing Radicals? There was nothing right wing about these guys.  If one defines radical as:  One who advocates fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions, then most definitely radical, just not right wing radical.  I used to think that expression was an oxymoron.  Not any more. 

Glenn Beck gave a post mortem on his Restoring Honor rally.  He was very concerned about the crowd size numbers being reported.  Every organization is always concerned with numbers.  It is going home with the most marbles on a grand scale.  He did bring in a huge crowd.  Good for him. It was peaceful and no one carried offensive signs. 

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Guest Contributor: Annabel Park

Disclaimer: All guest posts are the opinion of the poster and do not necessarily represent the views of moonhowlings.net administration. M-H

Fri, 08/27/2010 – 11:14am — AnnabelPark
I have been asked many times in recent days, “What do you think about Glenn Beck?” I haven’t commented because I haven’t been focused on him enough to really know. But since his rally at the Lincoln Memorial this weekend is distracting so many Americans who could put their time to much better use, here is my take:

I wrote the following in Wednesday’s Facebook post, without mentioning Mr. Beck but with him partially in mind:

Before we call someone a racist, we should ask ourselves: are we moved to call someone a racist because we feel compassion for the victim or because we feel hatred toward the perpetrator? What if, instead of being divided against each other over race, we stood together against those who perpetuate economic injustice against us all? Imagine how the world would change.

Martin Luther King’s march was called the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.” While so many of us are immensely distracted by Mr. Beck and other wedge issues of the day, Rome burns. If we continue to follow Pied Pipers who want to see our country fight itself rather than come together to solve our problems, what problems can we expect to solve? We are headed for a deep economic depression if We the People fail to show our leaders that we want solutions not distractions. To do that we must lead by example.

In short: Glenn Beck’s rally is a corporate-sponsored ragtime show. An unfortunate distraction in tough times when we should be pulling together.

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Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and his sidekick, Sideshow Bob (Marshall) have quite a dog and pony show going.  Marshall asks a question of a controversial nature and AG answers it, thus setting the Old Dominion on a collision course with civil liberties each and every time.  Does anyone notice a pattern? 

The Loudoun Times:

Loudoun County’s controversial debate over public displays on the courthouse lawn now has the ear of Virginia’s top attorney.

State Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli on Aug. 24 issued an opinion saying Loudoun County can erect holiday Christmas displays on public property as long as the displays represent other faiths and beliefs.

The opinion came at the request of state Del. Bob Marshall (R-south-central Loudoun).

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Its about time for another open thread. This one will be pinned to the top. Enjoy.

I have had many debates about this Cultural Center near the remains of the World Trade Center. For me, it is not just about upholding our constitution, it is about expressing to the world that as Americans we truly believe in our Democracy, that we are not hypocrites, that we are NOT afraid of Islam.

My brother who lives in NYC fully supports this center. People who I know that survived the attack on 9/11, support this center.

I read a wonderful article on the Imam, sent my way from a dear friend who is Muslim, and we had a wonderful exchange. Before people go screaming in fear and hysteria, I would recommend reading this very informative piece on the imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, the man who had the vision and dream for this project.

I wanted to share story by NPR, for it gave me hope that maybe in all this fear, anger and hatred, their is hope after all.
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The Right Wing extremists are all howling with delight over their boy Ken Cuccinelli socking it to them thar femi-nazis…..the pro-aborts.  It must be full moon.  Let’s take a look at what their glee is over:

Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli has given a ruling that has the potential of skirting around legislation that the General Assembly as refused to enact since the early 1980’s.  Attorney generals’ opinions are not legally binding, as court rulings are. 

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Right here in our own back yard, it appears that someone in the military is practicing religious oppression.  According to the Huffington Post:

RICHMOND, Va. — The Army said Friday it was investigating a claim that dozens of soldiers who refused to attend a Christian band’s concert at a Virginia military base were banished to their barracks and told to clean them up.

Fort Eustis spokesman Rick Haverinen told The Associated Press he couldn’t comment on the specifics of the investigation. At the Pentagon, Army spokesman Col. Thomas Collins said the military shouldn’t impose religious views on soldiers.

“If something like that were to have happened, it would be contrary to Army policy,” Collins said.

Pvt. Anthony Smith said he and other soldiers felt pressured to attend the May concert while stationed at the Newport News base, home of the Army’s Transportation Corps.

“My whole issue was I don’t need to be preached at,” Smith said in a phone interview from Phoenix, where he is stationed with the National Guard. “That’s not what I signed up for.”

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With the BOCS sniffing around for money, it might be important to consider the letter Robley Jones, legislative Laison for VEA (Virginia Education Association) sent out this morning regarding  the Education Jobs Fund:

(and it did say Dear Moon-howler:)  

The manner in which the health of the state budget is presented can be most confusing. Trumpets ring as we declare a surplus; but the fact is that for the first time in 50 years, General Fund revenues have declined for two years in a row. The surplus just means that revenues exceeded projections, and a loss was projected.

You will also hear glowing words about the additional $18 million in funding for our schools from sales tax revenues. Sounds good, but sales tax revenues supplant required state and local spending. This $18 million does not add an additional penny for our schools.

But, enough ranting — I have two important things to call your attention to.

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The Pew Institute released the following graphics to visualize the shift in perception regarding the religion of the president:

The Pew Institute asked the poll question:

Now, thinking about Barack Obama’s religious beliefs… Do you happen to know what Barack Obama’s religion is? Is he Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, atheist, agnostic, or something else?

Contrast the difference in opinion from 2009 to 2010 regarding the received religion of President Obama:

Perceived Religion of President Obama

According to the Washington Post:

White House officials expressed dismay over the poll results. Faith adviser Joshua DuBois blamed “misinformation campaigns” by the president’s opponents…

Among those who say Obama is a Muslim, 60 percent say they learned about his religion from the media, suggesting that their opinions are fueled by misinformation.

But the shifting attitudes about the president’s religious beliefs could also be the result of a public growing less enamored of him and increasingly attracted to labels they perceive as negative. In the Pew poll, 41 percent disapprove of Obama’s job performance, compared with 26 percent disapproval in its March 2009 poll.

More than a third of conservative Republicans now say Obama is a Muslim, nearly double the percentage saying so early last year. Independents, too, are now more apt to see the president as a Muslim: Among independents, 18 percent say he is a Muslim, up eight percentage points.

Does it matter what the president’s religion is? Does it matter if a president attends church on a regular basis? Did either Bush attend church regularly? How about Clinton? Reagan?

Did the fact that Joe Lieberman is Jewish affect the outcome of his bid for vice president when he was on the Gore ticket?

What is your explanation for why the misperceptions about the president’s religion have shifted so much?

How much of the shift in perception is deliberate rumor mongering?

Is the Muslim issue in part because of 9/11? How much of the negativity is because it is perceived that President Obama is not Christian vs. Muslim?

Pew Institute Questionaire>

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