Today is Memorial Day. While your enjoying a day off or a backyard BBQ, please take a moment and remember someone who served.
Just the past Thursday, the nation's oldest living Medal of Honor recipient passed away in California.
There are currently 96 MOH recipients still alive.
Seth Lauver's condition has been upgraded from critical to serious according to the Daily-Item. Alex Mullen who was a passenger in the Lauver vehicle remains in critical condition.
Please keep both your prayers.
A story is starting to brew out of the cycling world of the recent news of Floyd Landis coming clean about using performance enhancing drugs. Reports are that investigation of fraud and conspiracy against cancer survivor Lance Armstrong could now be underway with Armstrong's ex-wife Kristen cooperating with federal investigators.
Armstrong is scheduled to race in the 2010 Tour de France for Team Radioshack and is probably the world's most recognizable cancer survivor.
It was 26 years ago today, myself and 135+ other souls graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes Regional High School in Shamokin. For some, it was there last day ever in the Catholic education system which today is under siege. I happened to endure another four years of Catholic education and Augustinian philosophy at Villanova University.
Twenty-six years later, I still would not trade anything for it. Some of the things that were happening on the May day in 1984 was that Ronald Regan was seeking reelection, Apple was the heavyweight in the computer industry, George Orwell was in vogue again, and Indian Jones and Temple of Doom was released on that Friday.
Today Apple is alive and well, the corporations are making billions like the oil spill and BP, and we have a "Big Brother" candidate for governor in PA.
The above was a comment from my father made when he tried to sample veal I brought home from a local restaurant. He promptly discarded the entree in the waste basket.....aka garbage. My father had simple taste and enjoyed some baked haddock from time to time and occasional shrimp and locally caught trout. He didn't get too much more complicated than those basic fish meals.
One has to wonder what the oil leak in the Gulf is going to harm the delicate ecosystem. When will I be able to trust the seafood industry?
Will someone please man-up???? BP is too greedy and those on both side of the aisle do not have any balls.
Seth Lauver who scored the winning touchdown for Selinsgrove in the state title game against Manheim Central was injured in a car accident and is listed in critical condition according to the Daily-Item.
A passenger in the vehicle, Alexandra Mullen, remains in critical condition also.
Please keep both families in your prayers at this difficult time.
Here is a video of Lauver carrying the Seals to immortality.
Well, why "Big Brother" do you ask? In a story that is making it's was around the blogging circuit, Tom Corbett issued a subpoena in his first act at GOP gubernatorial nominee.
In the story, Tom Corbett as AG issued a subpoena for the twitter and blogger records to find out the identity of an anonymous critic. In a strange twist, Judge Barry Feudale senior judge and former judge from Northumberland County signed off on the petition.
Here is the blog that has been critical of Corbett over the past few months. Of simply, here is the link:
http://casablancapa.blogspot.com/
You know how the old adage goes. The more they stay the same. In weeks leading up to the primary election, you thought more change would be on the way. Once again, big money interest won in the case Tom Marino PA-1oth and Dan Onorato (D) for PA Govenor. Paul Kanjorski D-11th won rather easily and surprisingly.
Locally, George Zalar D-108th nominee and top money raiser won rather easily in a crowded race. He will face Kurt Masser (R) who won the Republican nomination.
In what was an amazing month, Congressman Joe Sestak came back from 20 points down just a few weeks ago to oust 30 year incumbent Arlen Specter. Sestak for the most part did not start spending big money until May 1st.
Specter did not lose because of a "throw the bum out" chant. He lost because of three things. The Swift-Boat Ad against Sestak. Two brilliant ads by the Sestak campaign linking him to George Bush and being self-serving. Finally, his switch to the Democratic Party was never embraced by party faithful.
The lesson to be learned as in the case of Scott Brown of Massachusetts, no lead is insurmountable. Everyone should keep this in mind come November.
Tuesday will be primary day in Pennsylvania, and if your a member of the Democratic Party in the PA 108th and Congressional 10th, you have two candidates running unopposed in their respective primary races.
Two candidates I will support tomorrow will be Joe Sestak for the US Senate and Jack Wagner for Governor.
Interesting races to watch will be the Democratic Primary in the 107th and the Republican primary in the 108th where both incumbents are retiring and have endorsed candidates running tomorrow. In the 108th Republican battle there was in issue of mudslinging something not common among the GOP. Lets see how is plays out.
An interesting prediction by my friend Gort42, has Carney getting more votes that all three Republican candidates combined in the 10th Congressional.
The State of Pennsylvania is facing a 1 billion dollar budget shortfall this coming July. Our wonderful Attorney General and gubernatorial candidate wants to sue the federal government and get rid of the state fleet of yes, 17,000 vehicles.
A letter to the editor in Saturday's News-Item, raises big questions about the KOZ program or Keystone Opportunity Zones. John Faraguna, onetime president of the Brush Valley Preservation Association, questions the use of 2 million dollars to develop SEEDCO Industrial Park for Reinhart Food Service to move from Sunbury to Coal Township and employ 12 people less than when it was in Sunbury.
On the surface, KOZ's look like a very good idea to pump prime economic development into strapped areas. Usually a five year tax incentive up front is provided. The program has been around from 1999. You can look at the KOZ zones for lower Northumberland County and see the results.
With Faraguna requesting information under the new Right to Know laws, I wonder if information exist on KOZ job creation for Lower Northumberland County? For Pennsylvania?
Today maybe cold, rainy and windy and some of you may have lost power today. Take a moment and say to your mother, thank you!!!!!
Happy Mother's Day to one and all mothers.
Today marks the 40th anniversary of the Kent State Massacre. Four students were killed and nine wounded by the Ohio National Guard. The students were protesting the American invasion of Cambodia that was announced by President Nixon on April 30th, 1970.
