" . . . [W]e have to impeach everybody from George Bush down to the person who picks up dog s--t in Washington. . . . "--Cindy Sheehan [San Francisco State University speech, April 27, 2005]

We might as well get this over with. The Atlanta Braves have won the National League East for the 14th consecutive year. Trust me, I'm not gloating. It's not advisable to gloat when your favorite team makes the playoffs every year and then gets shown the exit prematurely every year. I am not gloating. I'm merely pointing out that both the Mets and the Phillies suck.

Check this box score from today's Voice:

The dots I added to the mix with a Bic Clic denote the rookies that played in last night's game. Having clinched the division, Bobby Cox decided to give the starters a night off. But...and this is a big, big but. But...those rookies have been on the Brave's 25-man roster practically all season long.

In other words, the Phils couldn't overtake a team comprised of one-third of it's players called up from Double A ball. The Phillies couldn't handle a bunch of fargin' rookies. Need I say more?

Buck up, Phils fans. There's always the year after next.

Hi Mark. Couple of items FYI. In the late 50's and early 60's, I was asked to join the United States Information Agency by Jack Chancellor, late anchor of NBCTV, who was appointed by President Kennedy to run USIA/Voice of America/RFE, which was facing severe cut-backs in funding by Congress. I didn't join USIA, I but lobbied Congressional friends to keep Radio Free Europe funded (and the other USIA broadcast entities our government started), and played some small role in keeping it going. Thats what Harry was refering to. "We" (many of us) "helped" keep it alive, and expand it into the television era.

A noble undertaking for sure. You know, if y'all wanted to combat communism, all you had to do was air-lift mass quantities of rock 'n' roll records into the heart of the Soviet Union and then sit back and watch the 60s Soviet youth go completely mental just like their goofball American counterparts did. And some illicit drugs would have greatly accelerated the hoped-for revolution. Besides, Kievstock could have been quite the peace, love and drugs musical festival. Darn.

As to the little debate with Mrs. Vitanovek (a really nice lady), that came from my frustration over everybody interrupting and talking at the same time. If you read Roberts Rules of Order, Cannon's Rules of the House (named after the longest serving Speaker, Clarence Cannon), and Jefferson's Manual (you know him, he wrote something called the Contsitution), you'll find that when someone has the floor and is speaking, they cannot be interrupted except for a "Point of Order" requested of the Chair-person. The Chair is not supposed to even speak, except last in line. I even purchased copies of the above for Bill Brace, when he was City Clerk, but apparently nobody reads them.

Now don't be going all Jeffersonian on my commoner ass. I remember the Constitution just fine. I'm thinking we should re-adopt it after all of those frustrated commies currently "serving" in D.C. finally die off and meet that big nothingness in the sky.

Since you were there way back when, answer me this: Yes or no. Was Joseph McCarthy right?

As for your spat with Shirley Vitachevynova, I am not privy to what exactly went down, but I would suggest that you discern just how long her fake nails are before you go and rattle her cage again. Although, much like myself, I think she's simply sick-and-tired of the same people yammering on and on about that frickin' firehouse every single time somebody ups and dusts-off the gavel.

To put it in street parlance, it really is getting f>cking old at this point. Seriously f>cking old. There's a laundry list of great things looming on the rising horizon for Wilkes-Barre, but I can't go anywhere near a television, a newspaper or an AM radio without learning of more firehouse-related rancor coming from the same ten people or so. Is it not time to move on?

Also, I did support the bike ban after an elderly gentle-lady was hit and knocked down by a bike rider on the Square, causing some injuries, and several others complained about the lack of chivalry (foul language, uncouth behaviour, indifference to the rights of others, etc.) from "some" of the riders. I can't remember the author of the proposal, it was too many years ago. I don't think we ever passed it because it was already state law for areas like Public Square. Unfortunately, with any law, everybody has to obey it, and some good people are discombobulated because others don't pay attention to them or ignore them.

So, much like guns, inanimate objects with pedals and handlebars are not the source of the problem. Rather, the half-wits using them are the source of the problem. So why should I have to deal with short-sighted legislation all because some pimply-faced kid hasn't learned about civility and courtesy just yet?

If I'm following that sort of broad brush illogic, your bar should be padlocked because "some" bars happen to be nuisance bars. It seems clear to me that if we had enough cops, we wouldn't need nearly as much legislation passed.

You're the council dude, not me. See to it that our downtown is aptly covered by the folks wearing the guns on their belts. Rarely does any lawlessness, or carelessness occur right in front of a cop.

One more time:

Pennsylvania Bicycle Driver's Manual, Section 3508, Pedalcycles on sidewalks and pedalcycle paths reads as follows:

A. Right-of-way to pedestrians--a person riding a pedalcycle upon a sidewalk or pedalcycle path used by pedestrians shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian.

B. Business Districts--A person shall not ride a pedalcycle upon a sidewalk in a business district unless permitted by official traffic-control devices, nor when a usable pedalcycle-only lane has been provided adjacent to the sidewalk.

Have we noticed any bike paths in our downtown of late?

As to Harry's reference to "Justin's Law", ammendments to the Education for All Handicapped Children Act were based on my son Justin's testimony as a young child before the U. S. Senate on how Dyslexia was affecting him (reading, speaking, seeing backwards). Senator's Harrison Williams and Abraham Ribicoff, and Cong. Tim Lee Carter and Dan Flood, added Dyslexia to the Act after his testimony and personal visits with him. I'm sure you're tired of hearing from me, so I'll say goodnight. Stay loose, and please don't tick Harry off anymore...he's frazzled already (LoL)!
Jim

Sounds like a plan to me. I can't even imagine what it's like to be dyslexic, so I'm not gonna spout off about it anytime soon.

I remember that Ribicoff dude. I remember thinking as a kid that his was an unusual, but cool name. Cong? Got me. All of a sudden, I feel a new AOL user name coming on. How 'bout RIBICONG? I like it. No? Sorry about that.

Anyway, I shouldn't have been surprised with my having ticked-off Harry. Fact is, I was thumping on his 'ole man on a fairly consistent basis and actions do cause reactions. No biggie. I think no less of him as a result.

But be advised, I've been read the riot act many times before and being ripped into yet again will not cause me to change a single thing that I usually do. If I disagree with anything that the movers and shakers in this city say or do...they are going to hear about it here. Welcome to The Fifth Estate.

Stay loose? You can count on it. Do likelise.

Here's another example of short-sighted if not ridiculous legislation:

Woman Ticketed For Sitting On Park Bench Without Kids POSTED: 7:45 am EDT September 27, 2005 UPDATED: 11:15 am EDT September 28, 2005 NEW YORK -- It's an only in New York story. The Rivington Playground on Manhattan's East Side has a small sign at the entrance that says adults are prohibited unless they are accompanied by a child. A woman was given a ticket for sitting on a park bench because she doesn't have children. Sandra Catena, 47, said she didn't see the sign when she sat down to wait for an arts festival to start. Two police officers asked her if she was with a child. When she said no, they gave her a ticket that could bring a $1,000 fine and 90 days in jail. The city parks department said the rule is designed to keep pedophiles out of city parks, but a parks spokesman told the Daily News that the department hoped police would use some common sense when enforcing the rule. The spokesman told the newspaper that ticketing a woman in the park in the middle of the day is not the way you want to enforce the rule. © 2005 by WNBC.com The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

A ban on un-escorted adults?

What will they think of next?

Kayak Dude sent this our way.

Binghamton remembers three firefighters who drowned 30 years ago BINGHAMTON, N.Y. This week marks the 30th anniversary of a dark period in the history of the Binghamton Fire Department. In 1975, three firefighters drowned in the Susquehanna River over a two-day period. Firefighter John Russell drowned while trying to pull two rescuers from the flood-swollen river. The next day, Binghamton Fire Chief John Cox and Captain Donald McGeever drowned while trying to find Russell's body. The rescue boat they were in capsized near a dam and the men were pulled under by the strong current. Binghamton Fire Chief Clifford Colgan says no memorial ceremonies are planned, but Binghamton firefighters are reflecting quietly on the tragic series of events that happened three decades ago. (Bob Joseph, WNBF, Binghamton) Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

And since the subject at hand is how dam's are always a drowning just waiting to happen, I snagged the following from Kayak Dude's site.

The Perfect Drowning Machine The turbulent water at the base of a low head dam has been tabbed "the perfect drowning machine". Basically, outside of sheer dumb luck, once caught in the hydraulic, your best bet is to hug the bottom and crawl downstream until you escape the backwash. Otherwise, you are in deep trouble. If you want to learn about the hazards of lowhead dams, and read some firsthand accounts from seasoned rescue personnel, check out this site (disabled). A dam on the Susquehanna near Binghamton claimed three lives in two days, and all of the victims were firefighters sent to rescue and recover those caught in the hydraulic. Whenever someone drowns, it is truly a tragedy. If the inflatable dam is built, who will be liable when someone drowns in the hydraulic at the base of the dam? Possibly...Luzerne County taxpayers and any agencies that approve the project? It will happen. Is it worth the risk?

What a way to go. With your lungs filled with sewage and acid mine run-off. Nifty.

Coming soon: Lake Kanjorski???

The following e-mail may or may not have come to us direct from Noxen:

This flatlander is beat.

Nite, nite