i've haven't seen much either besides complaints about noise and unprettifing the environment for the tourists. i have read about some interference with migratory bats out west, but the companies put some kind of beacon on the turbines that redirects them.
i don't think that the news paper would print the the really rancid stuff since that would violate their policy. what's here is the disney version because it is printable.
i don't think that the news paper would print the the really rancid stuff since that would violate their policy. what's here is the disney version because it is printable.
what makes you think that the parents are any better? many of lewiston's kids are born into violence and poverty with parents who care more about how much assistance the kid is worth down at dhhs then the kid him/herself. sad but true. parents with alcohol and drug problems could care less about hiring babysitters or supervising their own kids. you are absolutely correct that educators are not babysitters, but unfortunately that responsibility is being thrust on them weather they can handle it or not. and you are beyond correct that parents need to start being more involved with their children. it's just not that simple.
as for the "attackers being somoli", there really should be some kind of a "cooling off" program between refugee camps and coming here, where they learn how to act. maybe some "parenting in the usa" classes would help, where they'd be taught by other immigrants how to help their children cope with the change in environment. here, i assume that those "attackers" are new arrivals from the camps where boys roam in packs with little parental oversight, and may be coming with single mothers with no cultural authority.
throw those two groups in together and watch what happens. basically, parents regardless of culture or income level need to supervise and parent their kids in order to prevent this type of thing from occurring.
what makes you think that the parents are any better? many of lewiston's kids are born into violence and poverty with parents who care more about how much assistance the kid is worth down at dhhs then the kid him/herself. sad but true. parents with alcohol and drug problems could care less about hiring babysitters or supervising their own kids. you are absolutely correct that educators are not babysitters, but unfortunately that responsibility is being thrust on them weather they can handle it or not. and you are beyond correct that parents need to start being more involved with their children. it's just not that simple.
as for the "attackers being somoli", there really should be some kind of a "cooling off" program between refugee camps and coming here, where they learn how to act. maybe some "parenting in the usa" classes would help, where they'd be taught by other immigrants how to help their children cope with the change in environment. here, i assume that those "attackers" are new arrivals from the camps where boys roam in packs with little parental oversight, and may be coming with single mothers with no cultural authority.
throw those two groups in together and watch what happens. basically, parents regardless of culture or income level need to supervise and parent their kids in order to prevent this type of thing from occurring.
maybe they should get yanni or kenny g. to play bangor's waterfront instead. perhaps performers should have to apply to play first, with questions concerning their political leanings being their decider. dixie chicks would be a sure vote.
"I am far from a political historian, but I do know music has played a special part in civil disobedience, especially when it pertains to our government," Gray said. the '60 demonstrated that, and you don't need to be any type of expert to know that. and they are right to be afraid of othersperforms cancelling because a performer was cancelled due to political statements. americian performers have the right of political speech, no matter who the president is.
we currently rent a mildewing trailer with leaky windows, and i pay for my own oil heat and electricity. all the landlord does is collect rent. however, while paying rent is a "waste of money" and not the americian dream of home ownership, it is a roof over our heads and a secure place for my family in a good school district until we are able to afford better. and ya, my kid has a heart problem too, and it's expensive. no mainecare for us. or homeheating assistance, rental assistance, or food assistance. sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and take work (or several) you don't like in order to support your family in a lifestyle that you don't want.
about those mags: yes, they are about love triangles and failing and flings of female celebraties, rarely male. women like to gossip, its what we do, especially about other women, if not clebraties then each other. men just aren't fun to gossip about.
women have more life choices today then 70 years ago. yes we are aware of those choices and take advantage of them. no, the mags do not reflect that. they are gossip fodder, entertainment only. we're not stupid, stop assuming we are.
women are able today to make life choices depending on their own personal situation. some are able to best support their family by focusing on caring for their family. others support their family by both earning an income and caring for their family. some stay at home moms must return to the workforce because of economic issues, and luckily that ability is there. that is what freedom and choice is, and we have it. please stop politicizing mothers, wives, and women-hood in general.
one million bottles of beer on the wall, one million bottles of beer. if one of these bottles should happen to fall, nine-hundred-ninty-nine-thousand-nine-hundred-nintey-nine bottles of beer on the wall!
where is the line of "terrorism" crossed with these people? it won't raise awareness of anything except peoples' blood pressures when they see what look like snakes hanging around and a bunch of happy people dripping about handbag material on what is supposed to be a normal ride home or to work. they'll be lucky to not get skinned themselves.
the problem is that those who abuse the system are hiding behind those truly in need. these cowards not only take funds away from those who really need it, they also benefit from your blanket protections. is making a person prove that they are who they claim demoralizing? not anymore then working 2 or 3 jobs to support yourself and your family just to watch ebt cards going for iphones, jewlery, ciggerettes, liquer, and lap dances. protect those in need, but get the slouches off the payroll.
everyone who was on the opening crew of this business (we started work at 6 am) met at 5:30 am in the parking lot and took turns calling the manager on our cell phones to call out for the day. she figured it out by the fourth call out in 10 minutes and by the background noise.
again. people: dig your head out of yourselves, put away your toys, and pay attention to the world around you when you are driving. thats a tough corner any way, but with a little patience, self control, and attention to the world around you, this doesn't happen.
when i lived in presque isle, they did the same thing to catch people racing between mars hill and houlton, and mars hill and presque isle.
i can't believe that it is only march and there have been 21 highway deaths this year already. people: dig your heads out of yourselves, put away your toys, and pay attention to the world around you.
dhhs has been allowed to run amok for years. past administrations had given them free reign with little or no accountablity. like a bad habit, it will take time to break the cycle of mishandled information, lost or missing funds, and misguided policies.
also, wasn't dhhs at one time 2 or more departments that were combined into 1, and that was supposed to save money? would going back to that system provide better services and financial control? i don't remember much about it, just that they were combined into "dhhs" at some point, and it seems to have been in trouble since then.
now you have them, bar them from appling for any type of public assistance again for the rest of their lives. oh, wait, what about their children whose names the benefits are under? the benifits are for their CHILDREN, oh, so thats ok, we have to support their children and the lying cheating parents have to go along with them, of course.
we have been talking to police, prosicutors, and dhhs for YEARS and they are only catching on now. whenever someone does say something, we're accused of hating the poor/elderly/children/disabled, misunderstanding the situation, not knowing enough about the intricrasies of the department regulations, and that it's all just an anicdote anyway. we're tired of talking to walls, being accused of hate and lies, all while watching the abuse take place. none of this is a surprise, just like the "sudden abuse" of perscription drugs. people have known for years that it's been going on, there are parts of maine that you can't buy illegal drugs but you sure can get any pill in the whole damn rainbow on the street, all paid for by the good old state of maine. we know about it, we've been talking, but NO ONE HAS BEEN LISTENING!
when i lived in bangor, the dhhs office had a line of snowmobiles behind it. so someone with a dibilitating back injury or someone who can't afford food/heat or someone who has no job has to drive their snowmobile to the dhhs office. welcome to all-paid-vacation land folks.
what a big shock. people have been telling that to reps for years. we were told that those were just anicdotes by people who hate the poor. surprise, surprise, surprise. you would think that if these dolts in dhhs really did care for the elderly, children, and the disabled that they would be doing everything that they can to ensure that the funds were not being misused and abused by lazy lay abouts.
i think that it's a great idea if we can get it off the ground. this could really help students in more rural parts of this state where advanced study and college prep courses are few. getting money for it would be the big prob.
we have a facebook page for my cat, ruby. we really do. we set one up for her (with a yahoo acct. for email) for games like farmville. can she comment?
what are the renewable energy options? wind power? every time that option is looked at, people scream and do everything in their power to prevent it. hydroelectricity? same story, from the epa who are worried about fish. solar? property owners who complain that the panels are ugly and devalue their adjacent properties. nuclear? tried that, people are worried about another chanoble, or what happened in japan. if there's one that i missed, i'm sure it will be pointed out. people want renewable energy choices, just not in their back yard.
it's not just deadbeat dads. i work with 2 men who have full custody of their children and don't receive a penny of child support from the "mothers". the state won't even go after them. one of the guys is still expected to provide spousal support for his ex. hows that for a great system?
i'd like to stage a march and get a legislator to represent me, the working mainer, for a change. unfortunatly, i'm too busy working and supporting my family to do it.
maybe someone was exercising their right to free speech. the burning of an unused tent could be seen as a protest against occupiers living in the park.
aren't you supposed to WALK YOUR BIKE when you cross the street? wear an orange vest when riding at night? use reflectors and a bike light when riding at night? be aware of traffic around you? few think about bike safety anymore, except for the people driving the cars.
i get sad when i see the lines of cars during the summer coming into the state. while they bring their tourist dollars which support low income temporary service jobs, they also bring tons of carbon emissions while sitting in traffic jams. and i also remember the public service announcements in portland asking people not to deficate or urinate on the beaches or in the ocean.
i also get sad when i see corn fields and forests plowed under in order to build yet another house for some "environmetally concious" yuppie. great idea: lets build houses where we grow food, then inport food from somewhere else. what could possibly go wrong? it worked on manhattan island. and there is nothing like urban sprawl.
lets not get started on cemetaries, golf courses, and ski resorts. or how theres nothing like waking up on a bright maine morning to the sound of atvs and snowmobiles, which are being raced up the middle of the street during their seasons. chainsaws and lawnmowers are great too at 7am.
at least a wind turbine has a purpose that benefits me.
funny how the athiest always pick on chritianity. why not question the muslum religion? is it because to question that would not make newsprint, and if it did the muslums would retaliate sometimes violently? if your going to spread hate about one relegious organization, you should name the others as well. that would hold everyone accountable for their actions, which is what was listed in the "humanisum" catagory.
the last time i went there was a fiasco. first they give me the wrong menu, then i couldn't order what i wanted when i did get the right one, i could hear comments from the "cooks" about spitting in my food and using food from the floor and garbage can (their "kitchen" was in the middle of the dining room), when i took my kid to the bathroom one of the "cooks" said "oh looks here comes freak out time", the food was cold when i finally did get it (we were the only customers there at the time), the server was new and got so upset and flustered by us that they had to make her serve us (again, we could hear the conversation) since we were so horrible. good riddence to bad rubbish.
if you want good food and service, go to the local family owned resteraunts. dube's cafe on sabattus street, uncle moes diner in sabattus, chummies diner in lisbon falls, and the settlement in sabattus all have good food and good staff. denny's in auburn is good too, open all night (ya i know it's a chain store, but it's better then friendlys).
$444 to feed a family of 3 for a month is a hardship? i have to feed my family of 3 on less then $300 out of pocket since we don't qualify for wic or food stamps. and since i get paid bi weekly i have to make $100-$150 worth of food last 2 weeks. most of my bills (electric, insurance, oil heat, rent, car repairs, ect.) come out of one of the 2 checks, so i can't always buy groceries 2x a month. so this is what we do to make things stretch:
we make bread dough from scratch (5# bag of flour on sale costs $2.50, use coupons to buy yeast), portion, and freeze it that way when we can't buy bread at least we have dough to bake. i buy meat in bulk then portion and freeze it, take out only what i need for that meal ($40 pick your own meat package at bourques lasts a month). we got a juicer at a yard sale, so i buy fresh fruits on sale, make, and freeze our own concentrated juices, then thaw and add water. i also learned how to jar my own jellies and preserve veggies, so i picked berries on the side of the road this summer and made jelly, and am preserving what i grew in my window sill garden. toiletries, cleaning products, and clothing i get at dollar or discount stores.
you know, there was a time before wic and food stamps when people still had to feed their families on very little and stretch what they got. they found ways. look to the past, talk to an old lady, learn how they did it.
who should decide which students should be educated, how, and what jobs best suit them? you? the government? a political party? shall we copy India's caste system, or go back to the '50s?
thats one of the draws that america has. anyone from any background can get an education and go on to get into any career they choose to apply themselves to. there have been so many people in the past who had to fight for the right to go to college because society and their teachers told them they could never do it because they were supposed to be mill workers and coal miners not physicists and doctors.
i don't know what the solution is, but it certainly isn't "pick and choose students' futures and only teach to that level".
huh? i thought we were talking about a questional bid to plow town roads. i'm also pretty sure that that idiom was also used to question any child of questionable paternalidge, mostly used for town gossip, which this complaint is also a form of.
when i was in jr high, we had 3 bomb calls in 2 years. all we ever did was walk to the armery next door, wait there, go back after an hour or so, get lectred over the intercom for about 20 min, then move on with our day. times have changed.
i could care less about hocky. what is the heavy metal show that is coming? when i was a teen, i saw green day, rob zombie, monster magnet, and fear factory there (the last 3 were all on halloween night in '97).
i think that they do have a nursing program. they were prob. continuing with classroom educational needs that could be met there as well as the hands on at maine med.
i do think though that the whole mantality of "i'm going to vote to affect change in this area today then go home tomorrow and leave the people here to deal with it" is fishy.
just advertise the job. turn away those applicants who don't meet your specific needs, and accept those that do. if asked, just say that the "applicant doesn't meet your specific needs at this time, but you'll keep the application on file", just like all the other employers. this seems to be little more then a paid internship, so maybe you should advertise as such. or maybe talk to lhs guidence, and they might help set it up for you as a student's educational experience, as an internship.
high schoolers need job experience and a reference just like everyone else in order to compete, and since college graduates with little real world experience are getting to be a dime a dozen, an oppertunity like this can make a world of difference.
kids are tought not to eat anything that is not packaged, or appears that the packaging has been tampered with, from strangers on halloween, and parents are suspecious of such. thems the rules. so, no apples. unless it's from the people that have that apple orchard and it has a candy coating on it. then the parents eat them, for the safety of the children of course.
isn't it a shame that the "fair trade certified" candy will get tossed unceremoniously in the same bag and eaten as all the rest, without aknowledgement or appreciation of the trade laws it embodies?
i think that any dog can be trained to not bite or chase. while some breeds (like pit bulls who were bred to help control bulls) tend to be more naturally agressive due to breeding, they can be trained to overcome this by a patient and responsible "alpha". dogs are still animals and will act to their instincts unless trained otherwise. how can we protect the public from careless pet owners? we can't. you can't legislate intellegence and responibility and have people not find ways around laws.
congratulations to them! goes to show that innovation and talent go much ferther then government stimulus. i hope her business continues to go as far as she wants it to go!
the maine supreme judicial court is held at lisbon high school? what kind of micky mouse organization are we running here?
also: oh no! they're building a supermarket locally where people can buy food rather then travel to another town! and how dare hanniford be the largest employer in maine and want to create jobs for jobless people. as if someone who is unemployed would take pride in getting a low wage job working in a grocery store. the horror! the horror!
how much do you think that day care costs? especially one that includes a pre-school criteria? it's usually $100 plus dollars a week, even if the center is closed while the workers are on vacation, you still have to pay to keep them enrolled. where do you think that money comes from? a familie's food budget or unpaid bills. with 2 working parents you don't qualify for help. or are you one of those "stay at home parent" people? 4year old classes are great for those kids whose parents "don't qualify", they help identify and intervene early on behavioral and acedemic problems like adhd or dislexia which even "stay at home parents" might not identify on their own. they set in place classroom and social skills that come into play in kindergarten. it is well worth it.
you all do that knee jerk reaction about the elderly and poor. it is everyones right to vote. but do you want a college kid form massachesetts, who is only here for a few months for a few years then goes "home" to work, voting on a local issue whose consequences you and the elderly and the children and the poor will have to live with? let them vote in national elections here, they can vote absentee in their home state elections if voting really means that much to them. and that goes for part time (vacationing) residents too. leave maine issues to maine residents who have to live with the consequences year round and their whole lives. that may sound horrible to some, but it is logical.
actually, all you have to do is pick up that little green card, fill it out, and mail it back at your convience. i've done it quite a few times, and it really isn't that burdensome.
why is it that the people who cook your food, pour your coffee, bag your groceries, and clean your office for you are never thought of as a contributing workforce?
oh and by the way: my mom worked and you know what that did to me? i have a great work ethic, i know how to balance a budget, use creative problem solving in the real world, i can sacrafice for my family, i'm more involved in my community, i'm strong enough to manage the healthcare of my special needs child as well as my husband when he had a head injury, and encourage my husband so that we could rely on him should something happen to me. PLUS i do all the shopping, cleaning, mending, gardening, jarring, tutering, bill paying, and cooking. but i'm not a REAL MOM because i bring in income to help pay bills. oh, and i have 2 college derees, no police record, no drug or alchahol or smoking problem, and i waited until after marrage before having children. thats the horrors of having a mom who works outside the home does to a child. and i'm not a rare case.
sorry people, i'm just a little sick of being told that i don't care about my child and i'm not a REAL MOM because i work outside the home.
has your wife ever made the "i'm a professional mother" quote? has she ever suggested to these working mothers that they don't care about their kids? like i stated in a previous post, take out all the teachers and nurses who have children, keep them at home like your wife, and where will that leave the economy? how would it impact YOUR income if we remove half the spending power? would your wife be able to stay home and claim that you can't work outside the home and still be a REAL mother? if it works for you: great. don't crap on the rest of us, and keep your unfounded personal judgements to yourself.
i got the day off because it wasn't "my holiday to work", and i'm scheduled to have to use choice time for it even though i didn't ask for it off. my choice time pays $3 less an hour then if i work, so i'd rather go in. it's also not one of the 3 holidays that we get paid extra for if you do work, though we still use less staff then on a normal weekday. i should be glad for it in this economy though. just remember to thank that kid that gives your cup of coffee at dunkin donuts or who bags your groceries today because they aren't even getting what i am.
i just glad that someone is finally adressing the "language barrior on the phone issue". if bring the jobs back from overseas and put them back in the hands of america's workforce, you will see unemployment numbers drop dramatically.
attention nurses and teachers: if you have children, leave your post and be the heart of the home. don't share your talents and entusiasum with the world. don't care for and teach the children of others. stay home and sit on a well dusted shelf until needed.
attention husbands and fathers: get a good enough paying job, or two or three, to be able to pay for your family's shelter and food and healthcare all on your own, since it takes actual money to do so. and don't lose your job. if your wife, the heart of the home, complains that your not spending eough time with the family or helping her enough, just step up and do it all because someone has to.
or you could just not earn a paycheck, and sit on welfare. just look at how well that works for the families involved.
i thought that cmp did a good job, the same as when we lose it in the winter. we lost ours during the storm, and got it back around 5:30 last night. there are a lot of rural roads, and with trees leaning on lines and branches cought up and lines down and transformers blown and a line disconnected off this house but not that one, there are alot of possible issues and they must take care of the big ones first, then go back for individuals. i had also heard that crews were brought in from canada as well as other states before the storm so that they were ready to run as soon as it was safe to go. i remember the ice storm of '98 and being without power for 2 weeks, so a few hours wasn't that bad.
not everyone can "dedcate their entire lives to training for a sporting event" and "rise to the pinnicle". anyone can participate in toilet seat horseshoes as long as they have at least one arm. it's pretty much all inclusive. a bunch of people getting together and competing in events that they are actually qualified for, and haveing a good time being foolish for a weekend. just letting go, and not taking life seriously for a few minutes in these tough times, thats what the redneck olympics means. the olympics did not lose revenue, and the commetee is responding to the assumption that someone "might get offended". to paraphrase "waaaaaaaa!!!!"
as for the integrety of the olympics: the guy from the sudan that is competing in cross country skiing. 'nuf said.
i'm surprised that jeff foxworthy isn't suing for using the term red necks which he undoubtly owns. after all, he borrowed and popularized the term from the american hicks in the same way that the olympic committee borrowed and popularized their term from the ancient greeks.
j/k sarcasam filter on
us either, and my kid has a heart problem. a co worker of mine (we're kitchen workers) whose husband has cystic fibrosis, doesn't qualify either. her income and his disability and social security disqualify them. they missed the mark by less then $100.
i have my dryer exhausting back into the trailer rather then outside. we put a nylon stocking over the hose and clean out the lint after every load just like the lint trap inside. if i do a load a day, even a small load, we can heat to about 65 for the few hours we are home and awake, our theristat was set to 61. we also have a baseboard type space heater. last winter, we all slept in the same bed for about a month to conserve heating oil. my daughter has a heart problem, and when her lips turn blue we just have to try warming her in the shower first before wondering if theres an issue. last month i finally paid off last winter's electric bill, and now i have 2 months to pay off last years oil bill before i can order more. our rented trailer is old and drafty and doesn't hold well in winter. my husband and i both work and can barely make it through last winter i don't want to think about this one.
as for lihep: they cut my 64 year old mother's liheap assistance last year, and she's worked since she was 12 and still works 16 hours a week as a cna at an alzymers nursing home to suppliment her social security. however, my chronically unemployed brother in law and his stay-at-home-mom wife get plenty of lihep assistance and thats the important thing.
i think that the people that live here should be the ones to decide what they get. people from other states that are here for a few months a year then go "home", should not be able to vote in state elections since they don't have to live with the consequeces. i think that same day registration is ok, but that the state voting laws should be changed to deter "from away" people from deciding state elections. in the past 30 years, look at the way our lives have changed and what party has been in power since the allowence of same day registration and "every part time non resident gets a voice". i think that the laws should empower those that live here full time since those are the people that live with the consequences.
there is a difference between the make believe magic and the wiccan relegion. if you want to connect the two and speak out about your thoughts, then that is your right. just like it's everyone else's right to agree or not.
disenfranchised christians and questioning young people are looking outside of the traditional church for answers and are going to find them online and in the library, and have been for years. instead of focosing on the other options, maybe you should look at what the church can be doing to address issues within itself and guide people and the organization better.
if lewiston is such a dump, then why were the somalis sent there and not to some other better maine community? because lewiston has always taken one for the team when it comes to the poor and immigrant populations.
as a young person who has also moved frequently, with a small special needs child, and also finding work, finding physicians, moving medical records, finding a place to rent, and hooking up with utility companies while my husband also works, i have always been able to find time to pick up that little green card, fill it out at my convience, and drop it off later along with my change of address card. i have been a registred voter for 12 years, and have never used same day registration because i didn't know you could do that. i just always did it as a way to find out about the community i was going to be living in, since the town clerks were usually very informative. its about civic duties, what people in some countries are willing to die fighting for, so i take pride in it.
then maybe they should also never have boughten the property since the rock was there first. maybe they should have invested their money in a different town so you could have your non-taxpaying rock.
just one more example of people working hard to find things to whine about instead of working on the real problems. road names, affection for big rocks, whoppie pies, and a trailer parked in a driveway for a few days for axel repairs rather then unemployment, pill addiction, welfare fraud, poverty, and health care costs.
gee and here i thought that only a democratic majority would come up with these kind of waste of time and red-tape creating, overly micromanaged, needless paperwork creating bills. guess it doesn't matter which letter is after a name.
it's too bad really. most of my co workers were true fans, even following them to away games on their weekends off and planned vacations around said games. from what i understand, the mainiacs really made it a family friendly environment, and the tickets were fairly low priced. my co workers said that it was cheaper to go watch a game with their kids then to take them to to movies, more fun too because they could be loud. the owners had tried everything, even giving away FREE TICKETS, in order to try to attract a returning audience. this really is a tremendous loss to the city, i wish the players well on their new teams, and hope that the boneheads out there can come up with something else for families to enjoy, since we have so few parades and outdoor festivals anymore.
is it possible that the drop is in relation to more private gun ownership? if you didn't know weather or not the guy you were going to rob had a concealed weapon, would you risk it? maybe it's just gotten too dangerous to be a criminal today.
did it ever occur to you that mabey the driver didn't see you because of the weather? was this a typical narrow country road with blind hills and blind turns with soft shoulders? most recreators think that cars are going too fast if their going more the 5 miles per hour, and are too close unless they are in the other lane puting their own safety at risk.
as someone who jogs along a country road, i agree that there are drivers that go too fast for everyone's safety, and that we should all be more vigilant. as i jog,i move aside onto the soft shoulder if need be and share the road. as a driver, i also see people recreating on dangerous roads completely oblivious to their surroundings and who are actually surprised when they see a car coming. when i try to drive aside into oncoming traffic because the road is narrow, i put myself at risk as well as others just so that someone else who won't share can feel good about being in the middle of the street. safety is EVERYONE'S responsablity, including recreators.
before you rode, did you check the weather? plan your rout with everyone's safety at heart? why urge only drivers who are on the roads, not the ATV clubs and mountain bikers whose trails you share? if this guy had swerved and crashed into a tree in order to save your horse who unexpectedly jumped, would you have felt responsible at all? i doubt it. in your mind he hit your horse on purpose.
my husband was a pack a day smoker (2 packs a day on the weekends) for over 10 years. we always had money problems, but he would never adamit it was his smoking. he quit 5 months ago, and he found that we were saving over $300 a month. which has meant that the car could get repaired when it needed it and we could still afford groceries and rent at the same time. smokers don't always want to admit that the problem is their smoking, and they will sacrifice anything to feed their addiction. to a limit. that limit is different depending on the individual. eventually most will realize what they are taking away from their family and will quit. some won't. its up to the individual.
the problem of pain med abuse in maine is so bad that it is a joke in some parts of this state. in a rural area that a friend of mine lives in, you'd be hard pressed to find any pot to smoke but you could buy any pain med in the entire pain med spectrum that you could ever wish for, from private sellers of course. but these cowards hide behind those who really need it then count on people from the maine civil liberties union to offer blanket protection over everyone who receives meds. there is a problem in maine, there needs to be some basic level of control not a free for all for the rest of your life, and some kind of controlled step down program.
she'll never repay a dime. she say that she "can't" find work so she can avoid that. dhhs puts the support services under the children's names (and, by extension, to her), so she'll have a place to live and food in her belly, all paid for by the workers in the great state of maine. she'll never have to feel one ounce of responsibility and will be kept. great system we have here.
yes. try and report some suspecious behavior, and your told to stop tattle-tailing, and that you just hate the poor/elderly/children/immigrants, and that there is no fraud.
workers have the right to not be part of a union. requiring them to pay union dues (or less then that) to a union that they don't want to be part of and requiring them to use union lawers isn't right. if someone wants to work and get less for it then the union employees to do the same job, then let them.
also: take a good look around. how many jobs were created under baldacci? if you can blame lapage for a lack of creation, you can blame every gov. for the past 30 years. he just "inherited the problems created by his predicessors", to quote an influential american icon.
workers have the right to not be part of a union. requiring them to pay union dues (or less then that) to a union that they don't want to be part of and requiring them to use union lawers isn't right. if someone wants to work and get less for it then the union employees to do the same job, then let them.
also: take a good look around. how many jobs were created under baldacci? if you can blame lapage for a lack of creation, you can blame every gov. for the past 30 years. he just "inherited the problems created by his predicessors", to quote an influential american icon.
unions do not fight for everyones rights. i have to pay more for my insurance without a wage increase in 2 years, and the pension program i have paid into has been "restructured". where are the unions? i have never been offered entrance into one, i just get to pay more so that someone in one will do their job. the workers in wyoming are being asked to pay a portion of their healthcare coverage, just like i do. they are being asked to pay into a retirement plan, just like i do. they are being asked to retire on a fixed income without a cost of living increase, just like my parents do. what is the problem? that they can no longer feel that they are better then the rest of us?
i still like apples, apple pie, and apple crisp. and i still vote for apple pie to be the state dessert.
i also think that a more interesting conversation/debate would be apple pie vs. blueberry pie. a debate comparing the benefits of each fruit to each other would be at least an amusing and colorful controversy in the middle of winter. school children could do projects studying both of these maine products,
my sister lived less then a mile from the sabattus border and one mile from the primary school, but on the greene side of the line. my nephews had to ride the bus for over an hour in the am and again in the pm to go to greene schools. my husband's situation was similar growing up in the mount kitahdin area, with 6 sending towns and less then 300 students k-12. as is in other rural states, fewer children must be bussed farther to go to school. thats part of the rural choice that people just don't think of.
i'm not a big fan of whoopie pies. i prefer warm apple pie made with maine grown apples and homemade vanilla ice cream. also needhams (choc. covered cooconut for those who don't know).
they did catch it on tape. the robber kept his hood up when entering and leaving. they had the pictures (which was laughable) taped to the front door of the rite aide i went to recently. but your right, they should have had cameras behind the pharmacy counter monitoring interactions. even dunkin donuts has one behind the counter in order to prevent employee theft and robbery.
hey great idea! lets close all those evil drug stores. except it's those evil doctors with their evil perscription pads that give the pharmacies permission to hand out drugs. lets get rid of all those evil doctors, or should i say drug lords, and all the problems of the addicted world would be solved. except when m.hilton got sick or hurt, then m.hilton would be s.o.l.
what does your rant have to do with a drug addict robbing drug stores? if i had worked to build up a business and it got robbed, you can bet your boots i'd invest in a better security system.
btw: death by smoke inhalation. thank you for clearifing since that makes such a huge difference in the inhumanity of the crime. tying someone up, setting their house on fire and it's all their fault that they died from breathing. and your right. death is too good for this prick, but since he has absolutly no conscience to live with, he'll just get free room and board for life instead. hope your happy.
if you don't like it, don't buy it. teach your kids that what they see on tv is fake until they are old enough to handle the war news footage and disaster news coverage on the evening news and in newspapers. and keep in mind that before "evil video games warping young innocent minds", it was violent saterday morning cartoons and violent movies, before that was satanic music lyrics, before that it was evil comic books and radio shows. what about all those commercials for violent movies (particulary "saw")?
also. there are games that are for mature audiences, just like there are movies that you wouldn't bring a 2 y/o to. there is a rating system on games which is based on the same rating system used on movies. this system also uses ages as part of the system (E for everyone, 10+ for 10 and up, M for 18, etc). we already look at ages when selling "adult" mags, ciggerettes, liquer. some games should not be sold to young children, so support legislation to fine stores that sell them to underage buyers, which we already do with certain products. and yes there are ways around them, as bloggers here will point out. and yes parents will have to actually look at what they are buying for the children, the rating as well as content comments (cartoon violence, sexual themes, gun violence, sport violence, etc) is in a box on the left hand side on the front of the case of any game bought. and yes controlling the game retail will make them more desireable to children, just like ciggs and beer. and yes the parents may have to deal with "why can't i buy it with my money" and "its not fair". and yes there are adults who play violent games after their kids go to bed at night, just like parents who have poker night, drink, or (gasp!) have sex after the kids go to bed, and its not just the "degenerates" that will undoubtedly be pointed out by the blogger here. did i miss anything, bloggers?
baldacci won twice with significantly less then the majority, i didn't see complaining letters or call to change the system back then. funny how when some people lose they accept it deal with it and try again next time, and others cry and whine and want to change the system rather then admit they lost.
lewiston-auburn has suffered from a poor reputation for decades. L/A people are lazy, uneducated, violent, racist, white trash, and filthy with crime ridden streets and poverty abound. nothing good ever comes out of this hole. thats what the people in the portland and bangor areas tell anyone who asks. i've lived in both of those areas and got reminded almost daily, especially in bangor where the good people i worked for tried to "re-educate" me. why would any business come here?
1. he should be greatful that he was "scanned" everytime he needed a pill. in nurse's haste, he might have ended up with someone else's pills, which could have created a whole host of other problems (we had it happen in my family, not fun). it also helps to monitor for side effects, prevent drug overdoses, and prevent drugs from countering each other. which is a matter of healthcare records.
2. paperwork keeps track of your health care over your lifetime. that way you don't have to try to remember every pill's name and counter reaction or allergy, the name of every doctor or nurse who has ever cared for you, every minor illness, ect., which can effect your healthcare later in life. which is a matter of healthcare records.
3. of course billing. you wouldn't have wanted to pay for a pill that you didn't get. which is all a matter of billing records.
4. all the informational paperwork is just how they cover themselves from lawsuits. you can't claim you weren't told if your signature is on the paper saying you were. what you do with that info is up to you.
i'd also like to add that i think that it's a load that they change "the language" AFTER any vote. lawmakers and all the other groups had plenty of time to look at it and change what they wanted BEFORE it came before the people. we voted on what we liked, don't mess with it. sounds quite shady to me. once the law passes, change the language for the interest of opposing groups, so that it is barely what we voted on. tie it up in red tape, hope the people will forget about it. a little back room and shady.
Bangor has always considered itself far above the rest of the state ("the queen city", "jewel on the hill"). baldacci sent the rest of the state down the tubes while he protected bangor's interest by using congressional rule (he said he'd veto any vote for a competing racino anywhere else in the state). for the first time in 8 years, bangor is on the same field as everyone else, and they just can't handle it.
your right, the same could be said. except the yes crowd didn't charge the already cash strapped state of maine anything except the ink to have it printed, unlike the loads of time and money that the no crowd is expecting us all to pay for. the yes crowd also had to have several thousand signatures to get it on the ballot, unlike 150 needed for the no crowd.
well see this is how it is: if you don't vote the way someone wants, you are a misinformed imbacile and there is absolultely no possibility that you did any research since your just an illeterate moron who gets all their info from the radio or television or church. or you're just under informed due to your lack of exposure to the rest of the world and you cling to your guns and relegion and are just a racist bigot who hates the poor, children, and elderly. there is always the possibility that the votes weren't counted correctly just because someone else won and everybody REALLY voted the other way.
By Centarie2000, unverified — Wed, 11/10/2010 - 12:54
sore losers seem to be popping everywhere, and don't seem to mind spending taxpayer money to fund their fight. maybe the rules should be changed that all recounts must be funded by the complaining group, not just when the difference is more then 2% of the vote. all the wasted time and money to do this because 150 people out of 559,000 wanted a recount. maybe we should vote on whether there should be a recount since everyone in the state is paying for it.
it "unfairly singles out" people who have "problems" and makes them "feel like criminals". forcing people to take responsibility for their own actions is not on the agenda. this system would be far too humiliating and would require far too much restraint. it impedes on freedoms while dehumanizes people.
maine drivers speed like fools? i've seen plenty of "out of state plates" (aka: tourists) with dangerous habits. we even have names for them: massholes, connecticut cutters, new hampshire near miss, ect. new yorkers would just as soon run you down as look at you. i learned most of the profanities i know from impatient new jersey drivers. also, how many of those "irrisponsible fools" are transplants from other states, like mass. where there are no speed limits, right of way laws, or drivers license requirements? (there ARE laws, its just that the laws don't apply to anyone driving in mass.)
you may wish to add to that list of "does the same thing": mcdonalds, burger king, wendys, pizza hut, dunken donuts, cumberland farms, hospital housekeeping and kitchen workers, and any small business and mom and pop shop that can't provide a benefits package. btw: lapage didn't come up with that idea, dhs did and encourages it. also, if mardens gave all it's empoyees a healthcare package, the price of all that crap would go up since cost is passed on to the customers.
and before anyone says that the worker shouldn't have children that she can't pay for, tell it to the welfare dependent with 3 kids and pregnant again.
our wonderful system is set up so that a kitchen worker making min. wage will "make too much" to qualify for childcare assistance while at work if she works more then 20 hours a week. those of us in food service have seen this for years. they make too much to qualify for child care assitance while at work, but don't make enough to pay for it themselves. but the little chronically unemployed girls get all the free childcare they could ever want while sitting at home with their feet up. most employers in maine do exactly what lapage did in order to help an employee so they can continue to work. and no its not frauding the system, its working within the systems own boundries in order to help working mainers, which is what dhs claims it's doing.
he didn't say to scrap mainecare. he said to take personal responsibility for ourselves, try to find ways to prevent fraud which does occur with so many clients and so few checks and balances. in reality, we will reach a point were there will be more people receiving then giving and the whole system will implode. where will that leave the needy then? you are right that hospitals bill very high because even if someone can't pay they must be given emergency care, that care costs real money in personell and supplies which must be reimbersed (nurses don't normally work for free), and that ends up getting passed on. so it comes down to people not paying their bills, both at the state and personal levels, which drives up cost. sounds like he was right, we do need to take responsiblity for our actions.
i'd like to add to the noise paragraph: snow mobiles, atv's, rebuilt old pick ups with glass packs and straight pipes (exhaust pipe extensions designed to enhance the noise) and no muffler. all of which are popular with country folk who complain about the noise of wind turbines.
also: if you want to see rape, watch "law & order", the evening news, or talk to a real cop (they see rape victoms everyday).
By Centarie2000, unverified — Wed, 09/08/2010 - 11:49
did i miss something? what does the mobil health van at the farmington walmart have to do with dave smith motors? NAthanial writes "i guess a lot of people will be benefited" and thats it about the above article. lawntobemowed and fatandhappy couldn't even bother a word about it, only about dave smith motors. if this is a blog site hijacking, then it is pretty low and i won't buy my next car from them.
so, america didn't come to an end because of this rally? i didn't realize that that was the point of it. and as far as i can find, never did any speaker at the rally mention during any of their speeches who "stole" america during the rally, which seemed to be mostly about encouraging people to take responsibilty for their actions and pride in themselves and communities. there is, however, nothing worse then when a bunch of people with an opinion different then yours have the audacity to have a rally, then disperse quietly and peacefully after.
i'm confused. if you don't like being preached at, then why do you go to church? people have a right to practice their relegion just as much as you have a right to not like it.
there are already laws about when you are allowed to mow your lawn, in my area anyway. there are also new laws about motorcycle noise. snowmobiles and atvs are not subject to any laws that i know of, since enforcement is next to impossible. it comes down to when someone's right to make noise and play interferes with someone else's right to quiet in their own yard. there is a time and place for everything, but not every place and time is appropriate. it is far easier to find a new place to play, then for people to move to a new community. they may have to travel with toys in toe, but so don't fishermen and boaters.
was this a serious letter or satire? the soccer/ hockey part was odd. team sports encourage teamwork and a sense of community, while providing a much needed outlet for children to run out some energy and socialize. sports are dangerous and accidents and injuries do occur in every physical sport from american football to track, but worse is childhood obesity and isolation. we can't protect them from everything for ever, they need to learn.
at least the officers were trained well enough to only shot him in the hip. brain injuries are strange things where not even experts can always agree about medications, side effects, "triggers", theropies, etc. i hope they find something for that works for this guy.
the letter was about a relegious claim that smoking pot was a sin. its great that you can talk about pot without bringing relegion into it, but the letter was about bringing relegion into it.
this war was "unpopular", more like the vietnam war then WWII. the generation that threw buckets of blood and screamed "baby killer" at returning troops back then will certainly not be all that welcoming now, though their ire is now downplayed to a cold indifference. the u.s. media was quick to highlight shortcomings, but let victories get buried on page 3. our soldiers deserve better.
that is the law. its also great when it is a narrow country road with soft shoulders and blind corners and hills. giving a bike 3 feet of clearence, especially when that biker is in the center of the road, puts my life in danger since i can't see what is coming and i have to drive into on coming traffic. if you don't like to ride your bike in lewiston, then do something about it. get your friends together (the ones who passed the 3 foot law) and get some bike lanes drawn, ride somewhere else, or get the laws changed to prevent cars from being driven on roads in the summer.
are you kidding? you have had trouble getting the word out? there are been several articles in sj about wind turbines, most of which were about the negetive impact. projects have been held up or shut down while people complain and scream about how bad it all is. there are usually 3 or 4 letters to the editor a week about how bad it is. to tell the truth, all i've ever heard or read in the past few months are the negitive impact comments. just because people don't agree with you doesn't mean that your opionion is not saturated enough.
my daughter was born in bangor and saw several specialists in that area. we have since moved down here, and she has doctors in lewiston and portland. trying to get all the doctors all the info they need from each other took almost 3 years, many "lost" faxes, and 2 trips to bangor to portland and back we finally are all up to date. i now get copies of every visit for myself in case someone wants some info that i can send myself. i have always been concerned about long distance trips because of the nightmare an accident could cause. infonet is such a good idea to keep doctors in the loop, and easy for another hospital to get much needed info in the case of an emergency. i like it.
you could be labeled by just as many terms, all of which you'd find offensive. instead of trying to make yourself feel "bigger" with taunts and insulting labels, just have the respect for others that you want for yourself and use mature terms like republican, democrat, liberal, and conservative. people will take your point of view more seriously.
its the 'lower partys' fault even when the lower party had nothing to do with it, had their ideas shot down and were labeled by the media as racist, had the nerve to ask questions and for clearifications, and when tried to stop a bad bill were labeled as "obstructionists". ya tron, i can see how it's all the "lower party's" fault. it must be your fault also since you let it all happen.
when i lived in portland about 8 years ago, they were running public service announcements asking people not to urinate or deficate on the beaches because of the bacterial problems that caused. i decided that if it was such a problem that it had to be addressed on the radio several times a day, then i wouldn't go to the beach in the summer. just keep in mind: vacationers spend a lot of money in maine in order to act like animals and throw their trash everywhere, and we need their money.
the democrats have been in charge of maine's economy for the past 30 years, if you want to point finger at party lines. it's been their tax and spend policies that have driven us here. when the economy took a down turn, they spent more assuming that tourists would save us all. but when the dust cleared, it was just us mainers to carry on with all the spending plans. expand mainecare and dirego? why, we can't even pay what we have now. cover 55% of special education, to be implimented over a 3 year period? that was 6 years ago, and still nothing. bonds for road and bridge repairs? how many of those have we voted for with few results. what the voters want, the democrats in augusta don't.
shows the typical disconnect. if the state pension system is so underfunded with taxpayer money, then how do you propose privet sector empolyers pay for their own employees' pension? most are barely hanging on as it is, barely paying all the taxes maine requires in order to pay for govt. employees' pensions. bringing public empoyees' "down to inhumane levels" is what will keep this already limited economy sustanable. it's a good thing you are retired, since you do not understand reality.
maine's elected officials will never look to "other states" for lessons, inspiration, ideas, or anything else, except vacation dollars. they believe we are an island unto ourselves, and are so prided in doing things "differently". remember when their great idea was to give everyone who applied for a drivers license one without proof of residency or legal status? we do admitedley have a few different problems, such as the fact that we only touch one other u.s. state as well as a larger older population. but there are lessons out there if we'd just listen. we must become more dependent on ourselves and less on vacation dollars from others, and less dependent on dwindling u.s. government bonds and handouts.
mabey a little competition for good renters is what is needed. having to compete to attract renters might just make landlords fix up old appt. and make safety renovations. or get out of the business if they won't.
mabey a little competition for good renters is what is needed. having to compete to attract renters might just make landlords fix up old appt. and make safety renovations. or get out of the business if they won't.
teens biting each other isn't rally a new craze. some did it in order to feel loved, connected to another, demonstrate trust and vulerability. some to feel like they were a part of a group, a family that shares a secret. some to just feel, or get aroused. others to freak out adults. the search for self, social place, and general life experimentation. it's dangerous behavior because of the blood borne illnesses out there. probubly not happening more often, just people are more open about it and feel that there may be less of a taboo about it.
still icky though.
i was wondering when the good ole' rev. was going to pick up on this, since harry potter is still at large after all.
1. there are places in the bible that says that God prefers those whose faith have been tested and still choose Him, walked through the fire as it were. tempered like steel.
2. VAMPIRES DO NOT SPARKLE!!!!!!!! and who would want to stay a 17 year old for the rest of eternity? i mean really. i read the books (they were a gift), and it was 20 pages of their love, 2 pages of action, 20 pages of love, ect. Mostly high school/teen obsession drama angst crap, and that has been around since the creation of teenagers.
3. i prefer the dark world series. more action, more emphasis on friendships and loyalties, less teenage angst.
people leave shopping carts anywhere and everywhere. it's not an attempt to stop handicapped people from parking. it's just that some people won't bring the carts to the drop off and just leave them or push them wherever. don't take it personally. it happens to us all.
this is just an off hand question. why does it say (not verified) next to some posts? is that because the poster is posting from a mobile device? i'm just curious
towns are cutting school budgets, out dated buses and buildings are in need of safety related repairs, and staff positions and activities are being cut. it would be great to keep schools open and buses rolling and meals made throughout summer for these children. but, how will you pay for that if you can't even pay for the current school year? how many people can you get to do all this for free plus donate free food, supplies, gas, ect. you can aim all the rhetoric you want, but it all comes down to the money.
my radio is stock, you can't hear it outside my car. i keep it down to a dull roar so that i can hear emergency vehicles approaching, just like the majority of drivers. most motorcycles have loud pipes. you can put on stock pipes (some models even come with muffler attachments) and keep your cycle tuned correctly, both of which are tampered with to provide loudness, and still enjoy a nice ride. though you won't get the attention when you ride by, nor the satisfaction of waking people up, or making people stop mid sentence while on the phone until you've passed.
i agree. loud chest pumping music is just as much as a safety concern as loud pipes are. how any of you hear an emergency vehicle's siren over all that noise is beyond me. loud pipes do not save lives since you can't hear those lovely pipes in any car with it's windows up until after motorcycle has passed. and to loud music people: nothing says class like loud foul language and thumpin' beats coming from a '98 neon or escort. also, just because motorcycle heads and thumpers like your noise, the people who you assault with it don't. unfortunatly, it's about what you want and you don't care about the baby you awoke from it's nap or the elderly woman who turned her hearing aid down. why should you? there is no law that says you have to think about others. it's all about you and your noise. and those of us who don't like it have absolutly no recourse but to block our ears and just deal with it because you like your noise and thats all that matters.
there is a few big problems with all that: people can't afford to buy a brand new car with brand new technology, and few have the credit available. when the car breaks down, where are the mechanics to fix it, or will it have to be sent to an expensive specialty shop? when you plug in your car overnight, how much does that raise your electric bill by? a $10,000 credit is nice, but not exactly a cash for clunkers since the price of the new electric car will probubly run more then my current residence is worth. the biggest problem is not the coal electric plants, but rather all the hidden and up front costs of the electric cars.
on a side note: if the epa was serious about switching off coal and oil, then they would be more supportive of hydroelectric plants, solar power panels, and wind power turbines. any epa supporter will point out quickly that hydroelectric plants kill fish, wind turbines wreak havoc on the landscape and interfere with birds and migrating bats, and that solar panel construction destroys environments and aren't reliable in certain climates. they won't offer any new ideas, just trash the old ones while screaming for the end of our reliance on fossil fuels.
you can buy cheap running shoes at mardens and go for a walk or jog outside for free. watching tv all day runs up the electric bill. when i was jobless, i didn't watch tv for that reason and exercied for free with jumping jacks, push ups, or walking outside. i also went to the library to look for jobs online and read. try flipping burgers or running a cash register for a living if you think that being jobless is soul sucking.
what an awful way to find out you've lost your job. i heard that that sort of thing happens in china (the country), but i didn't think that being informed of a lay off by a note on the door was how we did it here. so sad.
i remember the posting a few weeks ago from a person who had a service animal and will be unable to utilize the trails because they can't be away from their animal in a secluded area. these dogs are trained for epileptics, the hearing impared, as well as those who are blind and would like to listen to the birds and wind in the trees instead of traffic for a while. that is the saddest part of all this. it's not just a few dog owners ruining it for the other dog owners, it actually takes away a quality of life that most of us take for granted.
that being said, the property is owned by the stanton bird club and they allow the public to use it. use is a privelidge not a right. their first responsiblity is to preserve the nature there. they do not charge a fee for use, so they are not bound by the rules of business. i agree that the faulty dog owners (not all dog owners) as well as those who drink and smoke in the preserve will continue to abuse it.
actually the vast majorty of americans are more afraid of being involved in a hold up, robbery, or mugging then they are of someone legally having a gun. they are more fearful of the crime and criminal, then of some guy reading a book on the bus with a gun in his holster.
teens have been playing in the road in traffic for years. i remember when i was first driving, a young "lady" walked out in front of my car in the middle of lisbon street where traffic had stopped for her, hit my hood with both hands then ran back to her friend on the sidewalk where they did high fives and cheerleader kicks. kids are dumb.
the first step in prevention is admitting that there is a problem. and from the batesy blogs and bates governing responses, it should have been evident that they are still unable to admit to it. there will be no real action until there is a student death on campus.
i agree that it's an everyone problem. people believe that small children add 'something special' to an event and should be encluded, they don't realize that not every event is appropriate. people think that the world will stop turning if they turn off their phones. graduation is an oppertunity for teens to shine and they should be treated with special attention, sometimes it is the only time that their family will take notice.
i'd also like to say that homeless teens with no one graduate too. if you have a graduation robe and sash and hat that is no longer in use, the homeless teen center can use them for those who can't afford to buy them. lets make graduations special for all teens.
i agree. a few days ago, a poster made extreemly racist remarks about the somolies and needlessly degrading and inaccurate comment about women in lewiston. this was over the story about unwed mothers. i found no way to place a complaint to sj nor "flag as offensive" as we were able on the older site. there also seems to be a continual "argument" between several users where they just publicaly bash each other. i know that recently, this site tried to use a generic program to block language which ended up backfiring. users could still bash each other with offensive language (changing a letter: "tron" becomes "troll", or spelling phonically: "phuck"), but the program blocked sentences copied directly from the article. i've been personally attacked over my relegion, place of employment, job title, percieved education level, etc., all of which was available on the info page when you clicked on me. being told to "shut up, no one wants to hear from an uneducated kitchen worker" and called "a christian hypocrite" is a little much. the crossword is great, but maybe you should be more concerned about your blog site.
enforcement of existing laws is the answer. but anyone who does, is called a racist bigot and the entire system is tied up in red tape. arizona's new law is just an enforcement of federal law. i actually read it and the enforcement section states that the person whose immigration status is being questioned must already have been arrested for something else. when you are stopped for a traffic violation, you already have to provide identity documentation in the form of a license, registration, and insurance. the spector of racial profiling, harassment, and abuse is there, but those are possible under almost all of our laws in some way of some group or other.
companies should be prevented from hiring illegal immigrants, and the key is also identification which can be considered profiling, and many employers are leery of getting tied up in court by someone screaming racisim.
you are right that the legislature can raise taxes no matter what because they have to have a balanced budget. BUT how much more can the people of maine afford to give? people will begin to say "forget this" and either move or shoot down tax increases, like recently. then the legislature will either have to make some "tough decisions" (like the rest of the working maine citizens), or they will be replaced. sorry, but you can only squeeze so much blood from a worker.
especially the one about the welfare fraud. the first place that dhs cuts funding for is fraud investigators. i know that for a fact because of a friend who investigated during the '80s. at one time he had 8 ppl. under him to investigate. by the mid '90s, they had cut his staff to 2 and qudripled his caseload. they don't investigate anything anymore. all they do is call the employer to see if the person put in an application. thats all. only 3 applications needed per week. all a little mother needs to do is claim that the father isn't around to get support. and if he is living with her and paying for stuff, so what? no one will investigate. don't want to pay child support? work under the table. construction is good for that. no one will investigate. next time your in bangor, take a look at how many snowmobiles in winter and 4 wheelers in summer are parked behind the dhs building.
the sad part is that honest working people that need it "don't quilify". a single mother working making minimum wage in a kitchen must choose: loose child care assistance because she makes too much, or work fewer hours, or get a second job. how many of our "poorest" unemployed single little mothers must make that choice? none.
everything you said here is extreemly offensive. for your info, there are more teenaged girls OUTSIDE lewiston then inside and they are having sex at younger ages. to claim that about their mothers is incredably distasteful, since, once again there are mothers OUTSIDE lewiston as well. believe it or not there really are plenty of responsible mothers in lewiston that did not have children at age 12 like you claim, and many more girls waiting to have sex until later. and as for your racist remarks about somalies, you have a real problem and should not be allowed to blog here. stay in Bangor where you belong, where it may surprise you that there are teen mothers galore in Cape Heart (a massive apartment project).
lightening a match doesn't automatically burn down a house, neither does just having a drinking party. the point is that both are risky behaviors that can get out of control quickly. the match lighter may not see that the lit match went into a pile of flamables because he knows what he's doing , and a party goer may not notice people getting hurt because he knows what he's doing. someone tries to stop match guy from burning down the house because they can see the danger. police try to break up a large party because they can see the danger. it all comes down to having the experience to see the danger in a situation, and knowing when to stop. the drunk kids didn't know that they were in danger, and fought those who did, making it all the worse.
i know that you didn't state that. i was just paraphrasing that is going though bates' leaders minds. i am aware that this hasn't happened.....yet. but when they do, then what? everyone will sit around and talk about the warning signs and what should have been done. this is a warning sign. also, there are numerous studies about the problem of alcohol abuse and deaths on college campuses nationwide. is there a 12 step program at bates to help troubled students? should security be beefed up toward semesters ends? weekends? if there are partying "traditions" wouldn't it make sense to beef up during those known times? expanding security force, patrols, and presence? when did it become an acceptable part of college life to go to the er and have your stomach pumped? not all incidents end up on tv, and most end quietly. when does a handfull become a problem?
i was only lighting matches, its not like the house burnt down. this time. its called adults who can see unsafe behavior and stop it before anyone dies.
ya your right. lets wait until someone dies from alcohol poisoning, gets raped, or tries to fly off a roof before we even think of interfering with their party scene. that is why they are there is to party of course. lets watch it get worse first. future leaders motto.
paul chiampra of bryantville mass. looks really happy actually. laughing like this is all a joke. the girl is the only one who looks frightened, most of the others look like they are trying hard not to laugh.
for most people in the world, being named in connection with criminal activity is an embarasment. but these are bates students, they are too smart to feel remorse or embarasment.
finally a bates grad who get it. blaming the cops for having the audacity to show up when called doesn't help. nor does marching out how fortunate we should all feel for your presence doesn't either. those students involved were in the wrong. just admit it so we all can move on.
you seem to operate on the assumption that the police are out to get you. if there wasn't a reasonable assumption that there were unlawful activities going on, plaincloths cops would not have been called in to investigate. yes called in. also, a fine is a fine. you can't fine someone more if they are rich as opposed to someone poorer for the same crime. if you are breaking the law then you will, regardless of who you, are be punished. and no, people will not turn their heads just because bates is a large employer and the students do some work. thats hypocracy and an elitist attitude.
i have never had a problem with the police because i don't put myself into those kinds of situations.
1. state school frat night parties don't usually involve police because students don't fight security.
2. wouldn't it be the fault of the student the officer was chasing? all he/she had to do was answer questions or follow directions. instead, he/she fled. also the his leg wouldn't have gotten broken if you had all been respectful and the cops hadn't been called in.
3. if a person isn't kicking and fighting the cops, they have no need to restrain or subdue him.
EVERYONE including bates college students have to follow the laws and respect the police. just remember kids, the next time someone steals your car or breaks into your apartment or beats you up, you will call the police and you will expect their full attention.
when the cops are involved, you don't go stand there and watch, especially after being told to leave. could they not get into their dorm? no friends on that side of the building? this was reality, not an entertainment venue. when the police are doing their job, you get out of the way unless you want to get involved. when your friends are making jerks of themselves, you disassociate yourself from the situation otherwise you get dragged down too.
so because they are a large employer, students are exempt from the laws and don't have to be respectful of police officers? makes perfect sense. what you do affects not only you and your reputation, but those associated with you. thats the world kids. get used to it.
and if i am on my property being diruptive and dangerous my neighbors will call the police too. "campus" is not a no mans land where laws do not apply and the police can't go when called. the news is saying that the police were outmanned 10-1. in that kind of a mob situation, things can get worse quicker, especially when trying to sort drunks from bystanders from violent offenders, none of whom are cooperating with police. so they had no choice but to call for backup. if it broke up quitely, just like if the police broke up a party on my own property, there would have been no problem. these kids need to be taken down a notch.
good ole tron, trying to put up a smokescreen and divulge attention from the issue at hand and creating one that for himself for attention sake! this has nothing to do with students voting rights.
actually thats exactly what i would do because i respect authority. as for talk down to you, get over it your not the star of a movie. the badge they carry and the uniform they wear does require respect, which doesn't seem to have been taught to you. just like your rich daddy is given respect when he walks into a room, even he must cooperate with those in uniform when told.
they do represent the minority. however, if as a society, we allow a few people to get away with a few misdeeds, then it has a snowball effect. we all know that not every bates student was there, but the ones that were should be punished. but must of us doubt that they will because of their station in life and/or their parents station. we have all seen it before numerous times both locally and in the media.
how much money do batses spend at wall mart or local stores is not comparable to the amounts spent by the rest of us year round. according to the batses all police are bad for stopping them from hurting themselves or those around them. i see more then just batses volunteering. educate yourself on what this community has to offer itself. you are all so wrapped up in yourselves and what you bring that you don't see what we have or can teach you. also, the majority of working people in this are do not work at bates college. lewiston, maine, and the world in general do not revolve around bates college.
actually things are being done by hard working townies to attract and create businesses. you are aware that when college lets out for summer, we don't close down the town, right? we somehow muddle through it all without you? also, you're so wonderful that the people who built this town and community and pay taxes and work here and live here are abhorrent to you? and lisbon is such a waste compared to the wonders that are you, right? what an elitist piece of parrot dropping.
you get respect by earning respect. just as any disorderly drunken jerk would be chastised by the group, you are now feeling it. the posts from batsies write about how unfair they were all treated, read them yourself. ask why they feel this way. is it because they really don't believe that their own personal actions have personal consequences? there are batsies actually comparing their drunken party to the civil rights movement. how insulting is that? they are blogging about suing the LPD and making us "look bad" as if that matters. if i was drunk and disobeyed an officer and got arrested, i would protest but know i am wrong and did wrong. as an adult i would be ultamitly forced to take responsibility for my actions. leave the double speak to "1984".
there is a fine line between "a celebration" and "disorderly conduct" when alcohol is involved. even the most enlightened students of life can easily cross this line. people were already getting hurt at this "celebration". what would have happened if there was a death? you would have all been crying about how everyone else should have stopped it from happening, and condemned LPD and everyone else. grow up. we all pay the price to dance with the piper.
actually it is 2-0 because it has been verified by the league at the time of the last game. not everything has to do with the justice system, only the governing body which that item falls under. you may wish to learn about what does and does not fall under the blanket of the us justice system before you utilize it.
1: you yourself wrote that the BEMS were on the scene within 30 minutes, which means that they had to get through your drunk butts to get to the fallen student otherwise they would have gotten there sooner. even united ambulance has a better call time. read what i wrote please since it mentioned nothing about the police.
2. the police have a duty to respond to every call weather you like it or not. are you sure they weren't DISGUSTED with the student behavior?
3. right about alcohol impeding judgement and therefore unreliable. wrong about the police procedure, but frivolity will do that to ya.
4. actually the us system of justice has better things to do the worry about a few drunken addlepated brats being insulted. you were treated like any other person in that situation, which is why you are insulted.
also, he isn't some kind of monster to be let loose at our convienence, he is missed everyday, and would never have had anything to do with this now. this incident is just adding stress to his family.
i shouldn't have replied at 10:16, i can't figure out how to remove it, and i'm sorry i wrote it since it has nothing to do with what is going on.
1. your friends were blocking the medical crew from helping the student. otherwise, i'm sure that BEMS would have arrived much sooner the 30 minutes later.
2. bates security were the ones who called LPD.
3. the police don't manhandle, beat, or pepperspray people who are not physically fighting the officers and are in fact peacefully dispersing. and those who do are usually arrested.
4. no one really cares how insulted you all are. go home and pout.
when i was 20-23 years old i had enough sense to listen to police, follow instructions, and not run into it for fun. i partied and played and trash talked just like everyone else. the majority of the people i knew had personal responsibility and didn't want do deal with the negative consequences. those that did we made fun of and disassociated with because they would have dragged us all down. it was behavior of teenagers, not adults and we undereducated working slobs knew better.
poor little rich kid has a dose of reality! guess what princess, in the real world when real people behave in this manner this is what happens. why don't you and your little elite friends take just take your toys and go home to pout. believe it or not, the world doesn't revolve around you and your egos.
it may be a minority of students, but they caused huge problems. its not just the ignorance of their actions that are angering people. its the fact that they ARE supposed to be better then us: better educated, more caring, smarter, future leaders. what does it say to the people of a very poor community that these elite are fighting with police and ambulance paramedics? that they are having a protest event because the police didn't kiss their backsides when they were breaking laws and interfering with ambulance services? its their lack of respect, self control, and personal responsibilty that people are angry about. btw:i went to a technical college and we blue collar workers never had to have police called in. what does that tell you?
you are correct that people drive like idiots everyday. roads are not racetracks nor playgrounds and should not be treated as such. and we should all realize that there are more and more drivers out there: more elderly drivers, new drivers, truck drivers, motorcycle riders, buses, taxies, immigrant drivers, distracted drivers, and vacationers. there are just more people on the road then ever before and we must all be more courtious and aware of our surroundings. that is why we have new laws about street racing, cell phones, and seat belts. trying to legislate common sense. and when i'm going to be late for work, i call before i leave home and let them know so i don't feel the need to speed.
i think that she means that we as the american culture are raising children that are like that. out of disconcern and lazilness, we are raising generations of theives and animals. most people outside the usa also see that.
people really don't understand their animals. when i lived in eddington (by Bangor), almost everyone on our street had a dog, none had them on leashes. i can't tell you how often i had dogs come at me and chase me up the street, or how many times there was a growling dog in my driveway blocking my car. once, a pit bull was growling with his muzzel a few inches from my 4 month old. he wouldn't let me back up, and i couldn't yell for help. the "owners" child was yelling at the dog and yelling for her mom, who after about 10 minutes finally grudginly bothered coming to get the dog. promising that it would never have hurt us. more and more people have stories like this.
people always think that their animal is under "voice command" and would never hurt someone unless provoked. never the case. people are idiots, dogs can't help themselves.
i'm sorry that you can't enjoy things like others. this is a case of one bad apple spoiling it for everyone. i think that service dogs should be allowed everywhere a person can go, because service dogs not only have specialized training to never leave the owners side but also are always on leashes. but people with regular dogs don't understand the special circumstances, and will assume their own admittance. again i'm sorry your limited by the ignorance of others.
can you say police block on center street? pieces of uneducated trash like these young "street racers" should have their heads examined and their licenses removed forever. these young "street racers" wonder why the police are always "harassing" them and making them follow those silly laws that don't really apply to them. there is no excuse for this behavior. mabey next time a "street racer" might run over a child who is crossing their racetrack and should have already known better. this was during the day around noon time in noon time traffic! what jerks.
i'd like to live there too. but unfortunatly, we disregarded safety in the name of tolerance and political correctness. it's not his fault he stole/murdered/mugged/raped! society is to blame! all he needs is counseling and understanding! and then he does it again and again. or even better! lets forgive pediphiles and let them live next door to children! all they really need is counsling and acceptance because it really isn't their fault! then they do it again and again. lets deal with criminals (especially priests and teachers who are supposed to be trustworthy) and make our towns safe.
so i take it that there is such an overabundance of home-buyers that this is a good idea. we don't have to worry about schools or taxing working people out of their homes and possibly out of this state? if a tax is raised, and some people don't have to pay it, then others have to pay more now to cover the costs now, no matter what the adjusted rate is later. why would any home buyer agree to this? how about if the tax is set for the elderly people, then when the property changes hands the taxes are adjusted without penalty.
how about using the $120,000 to hire people who will take their jobs seriously instead? there are plenty of unemployed out there who would gladly not misuse company property on company time. or if there is so little actual work that they had time to do such things, then why not save money by having them work only half a day?
buying a pellet stove is not like buying groceries. you don't buy a new one every year. people who wanted one and wanted to take advantage of tax incentives at the time did. many in maine live in rented homes and don't have the ability to add a pellet stove in, regardless of rhetoric about savings (which don't affect landlords who don't include heating cost in the rental agreement). also, last winter was mild. people stocked up on pellets that they didn't use. if someone bought 500 lbs of pellets for example, and only used 200 lbs, then they aren't going to buy 500 lbs more right away. therefore, the pellet stove industry is reliant on the weather, which in maine is unreliable at best. i think that the article is too early. put a few more winters in then mabey i'll believe it's a crumbling industry.
when i was in lewiston high school, we had to pass basic math and algebra profeciency tests in order to graduate. if you didn't pass those tests, regardless of anything else, you didn't graduate. there were those who had done the work, passed all classes, had the necessary credits, but were not allowed to graduate. the school did offer an after school tutorial class that tought straight from the test. those who still failed had to go to summer school in order to pass that test. colleges did not look at those test scores, students who passed still had to take college level math courses, and it didn't count for much and was eventually dropped from the curriculum.
this will be the same situation. nothing gained, nothing learned, many discouraged.
i thought that the topless march was a missed oppertunity for breast cancer awareness. what better way to emphasize what is lost, celebrate life, and support survivors then with a parade.
if they don't want to bus, then the taxpaying parents who fund the buses and public schools and also pay out of pocket to send their kids to trinity should be allowed vouchers since they are paying for services that they are not allowed to utilize.
a lot of people are losing 100% of their saleries without their approval. these people were also relying on steady income, forget about raises. just be glad that you are a part of a union which has and always will protect you. most of us out there paying for it don't.
the amount that most are spending on rent is more then the average morgage payment, and often does not include heat or electricity (more money out). unfortunatly when people ask for help, rent and utilities are excluded from the application process. so what if $9 out of $10 is spent on rent and utilities, you still had $10, so no help buying food. how about when people ask for help, taking living expenses into consideration? and no, not everyone who hurts is young and single and childless and healthy and can get a second or third job in order to pay. we already subsidize for the unemployed, and give tax credits to homeowners. why not think about those caught in the middle for a change?
just because she knows where to shop, and will give you a ride in a snowstorm, and will give you a cigg. when your out does make her a good person. leaving her kid with a pitbull in an unlocked car on a busy city street while shopping for over 30 min. in a headshop makes her a bad parent for now. as for her life and what she's been through: we all go through things, and most of us leave that behind and shelter it from our children. its called growing up. those who had bad parents know what it was like, and have the option of leaving it behind and being a different parent. also watch your language, this isn't a dance club and no one is intimidated by your foul mouth. try to keep it civil.
it has been pointed out in other responses that they are just irresponsible kids with poor upbringing and bad parenting skills. not "young adults" in any way besides that terms definition. it takes more to make an adult then age, and it takes a real woman to be a mother.
this was a planned excursion. they didn't have to stop and brows a headshop for over 30 min, and they didn't both have to go in at the same time. this wasn't an oops, this was recreation. i'm glad she feels remorseful, i just hope that she realizes that if she gets her kid back, it will be a second chance and how lucky she is that this didn't end in the ER or the morgue.
so we are clear on that because your response was about parenting a toddler, and the act was about an infant human, the weakest and most vulnerable and most defensless of our community. as for redemption, rehab and parenting classes would probubly not be enough, but mabey after the kid is old enough to care for herself, they can have her back. if they can't handle an infant that just sits there, what WILL happen with a toddler?
it wasn't 10 min. it was over 30 min from the time the cop stopped, how long before that unknown. keeping eye contact? they were both inside a building with covered windows browsing. it only takes a moment for a baby to startle a dog and have it attack, or a car to crash. i'm a first time mom too, and i have made mistakes, but never intentially for the sake of convience in order to shop. get a sitter or stay home or take baby/child with you, thats your life as a responsible mother. this isn't entirely (though mostly) a learn on the job thing, and some forethought is required.
my sister was a first time mom at 18 too, and we didn't exactly have a plush upbringing with little parenting also, but she was smart enough to never leave her children (twins with no father present) unattended. will her next mistake kill? will that be your parent's fault too? when does personal responsiblity kick in? it takes more then feeding and changing diapers and dressing her cute to make a real "MOTHER". justice for you as children? you are adults now, ACT LIKE IT!
there is no such thing as a practice human life. will their next mistake end up killing the child? oops! i just made a mistake and left my pills on the table and she's so fast and ate them, what ever shall i do? unfortunatly, that happens far too often as it is. some mistakes are fatal. this wasn't an oops. this was a planned thing. it would have been far smarter if they took turns sitting in the car while one went in, then the other sat in while the other went in. that way the kid and dog weren't alone and no one would have had to get involved. that would have shown the abiltiy to act at least somewhat responsibly. or even why not plan a day for shopping and have the kid babysat? thats what the majority of us do.
indignant or embarassed? quietly ashamed or scared and confused? what fantasy are you living in? they didn't see what they did as wrong and dangerous, their kid is just an inconvienance to their recreation. even when told they argued and were defensive. confused about what was going to happen? if they are able to make a baby then they can understand that actions have consequences. but, someone will argue that their "addictions" are stronger then their parental instincts and we should all feel sorry for them and bla bla bla.......until that child ends up dead "by accident" then it will be everyone else's fault and they won't have to feel the least bit of responsibility for their own actions. they'll just get high and stupid and make another baby.
here is one more angle to all this: health. woman have more sensitive skin then men. we also have a higher rate of skin cancer, whether due to tanning booths or not. areola and nipple skin lack the pigmentation defenses to protect from sun damage. those of us northerners who tend to be extreemly pale burn easily and have higher chances of developing skin cancer. if people want to prance around topless, go for it. just don't be surprised that pale skinned northerners aren't really into it.
on a side note: i'm so pale that i wouldn't go topless because the glare would blind passing traffic, or so white that i'm transparent and you could see my heartbeat, or i'd just burst into flames.
i also think that this is about getting attention. we all already knew women could go topless in maine thanks to that woman simply mowing her lawn topless a few years ago. i think that these marchers think that since we don't all just strip off our tops and run down the street, that we don't know about the law. we do. i prefer not getting a sunburn on the sensetive skin on my chest, which my bra would really irratate. or going into an air conditioned store topless. chilly. its about preference ladies. get over it.
is that compared or contrasted to islam? i still remember 2 towers falling when islamic terrierists flew planes into them to engage a war with america. as well as the human rights violations, oppression, and murder of those who are different which is mandated by islam and in the koran. yes christians have been misguided by greedy leaders into evil deeds, but so isn't the current state of islam. but that is of course exceptable since it isn't christianity.
"reference to unsupported prejudice is not allowed, nor such phrases as.....i have the right to be offended". Andrea is offended that woman have the legal right to go bare chested, but choose not to.
as for breast obsession....it's hard not to be obsessed when a topless woman is walking down the street, in the newspapers, on tv and the radio.
also, there is still a war going on, joblessness, people losing their homes, and now a volcano spewing ash into the atmosphere which will do who knows what to crops. and she's worried that not enough women are excercising this right that we already have.
just out of curiosity: what does this particular blog have to do with the chili chowder comp.? it looks like an ad. and takes up a lot of space that would have better been used for conversation.
the law says that it is ok now, but if these people keep up the public spectacles then these rights may be gone soon. respect the right, don't abuse it for the purpose of publicity.
i have the right to not bathe or shave. shall i begin a parade showing that off?
yes i remember that also. i think that one of the big problems with the madison mower was that traffic was slowing and people were going there on purpose to stare.
back then people were saying what they are saying now : that the law says it is ok as long as it doesn't cause a traffic problem.
perhaps instead of limiting then number of people through the door at a time, they should change venues. it is getting popular and the current location might be gettting a little tight.
maybe the sj should have a religious/cultural section where whatever religion/culture's observed day can be written about. educate the public. maybe everyday really can be a holiday! and if you don't want to read, learn about, or be subjected to it, all you have to do is just not read it.
also, "the world" and population numbers have changed dramatically since the mayas. since they lived in so. america, their "world" consisted of just the lands they occupied, not over oceans. remember the y2k doomsday that didn't happen? its based on the gregorian calander, and most other cultures had either passed y2k or weren't even in the ballpark yet. the mayans concerend themselves with their lands, rightly so. so i'd be more concerned if i was in so. america
i'd like to put mine in catholic school because of the discipline and education standards. can't afford it though. maybe if the wealthy church offered scholorships or assistance, not only would their schools fill but their churches as well.
how business owners cope in this economy is news. unfortunatly, families can't afford to eat out enough to support restaurants, so owners have to be creative. adults need adult entertainment after the kids are in bed too, and they'll spend after working all day/week. thats society.
if you don't like the sj, then don't read it. the portland press herold, bangor daily news, and kennebec valley journal are all available in this area and online.
and how many herbs and oils are said to prevent certain birth defects? the language is the same, the MAY prevent this or that. the reason? you can't look at a child and say that they would have had down syndrome if not for this herb/oil combo, and you can't look at a person and say that they live longer due only to birth control pills.
i'd also like to know how birth control pills destroy marriages. if only a pill, and not infidality or personality, can do that, then the marriage was in distress to begin with. how many marriages ended because the baby wasn't his, or his mistress became pregnant?
i think that aftermarket mufflers don't meet inspection requirements and are usually swapped in order to get a sticker. and if it is a noise problem they can be pulled over and ticketed, and if the sticker is new the garage gets investigated to see if they passed an illegal exhaust, which results in fines all the way around.
The guy is from Houlton. I lived up there for awhile, so I can tell you that he probubly really doesn't know that NH is between ME and MA. Most people up there have no concept of anything below Bangor. They have heard of Augusta, but don't really know where it is. As far as most know, the state line is just below Bangor and they go right into MA.Or maybe they just have really old maps up there.
Since economic development would be prevented, how would the people that live up there live? Farms that closed years ago would not be able to re-plow, lumber couldn't be harvested, new jobs and homes could not go up as children grow up and move out. Tourism is a shaky business to rely on, and what businesses and farms currently operate are already unable to produce jobs to support any populace. The "state" would be unpopulated within a few generations.
The Bangor incident isn't so much about open carry. It's about letting an idiot have a gun at all. A responsible gun owner would not "be showing it off" to another passanger, have the safety on, and possibly not have it currently loaded. People should have an open carry permit, similar to the concealed weapons permit, with the same requirements.
I have worked in the service industry for about 10 years, some places had sick leave others didn't. There are people who have been caught at the movies, beach, and shopping on a day that they called out. They are still being paid as well as the person who has to cover that shift in order for business to continue as usual. This does effect operating budgets, since 2 people must be paid for the same job as well has having to have the extra staffing trained and kept on. The budget, which sounds greedy and inhumane to some, is how supplies are purchased, employees are paid, and bills and taxes paid. While MOST people are HONEST and only call out in the event of a real illness emergency, SOME people are chronic call outs which makes it harder on those who have real emergencies. The call out abuses are usually more frequent for businesses that offer paid sick leave. Frequent hirings, firings, and call outs causes stress on the other employees as well as effects business quality since there is always someone being trained or working a double shift or are understaffed, so firing chronic call outs isn't always workable. Also, businesses who frequently "flip" employees look undependable to customers and lenders, and get a "reputation" among the workforce.
There alway is a risk to blanket diagnoses. Every person is different, we are not automatrons. We all have slightly different biological factors and experiences. Even in a given populous, say paranoid scizo. people, there are different levels/types and triggers even though much is the same throughout. The challange in psychiatry is determining what is "normal", and what is "abnormal" in a given group and what needs to be addressed. The larger the net, the larger the holes, though. Is that shy awkward kid a late bloomer or autistic? Is that person concerned with their health or obsessive compulsive?
A bigger philisophical question would be: If everyone is mentally ill, what is normal?
There is mental illness in even the most normal person if we look hard enough.
And before the personal attacks start (Tron), my uncle was paranoid scizo., so I do have some idea of blanket diagnoses and treatments and stigmas and the affects of those things.
A person who was beaten, stabbed, or shot and left alone could die long after the attack due to coma, shock, fear, or just the inability to get help. It doesn't mean that the attacker isn't responsible.
Where did you get the information that undocumented workers are paying into social security? If they are undocumented, then there is no documentation as to how much or if they pay in since they are paid "under the table".
Where did you get the info. about how much more in taxes immigrants pay in as compared to receiving? Do these numbers reflect medicare, ESL, education, food stamps, and housing which many need and recieve?
They're not just doing the jobs that American youth won't do. Immigrants are just doing them at an unfairly low pay rate, which is a crime against them.
If you are afraid that your loved one who is undocumented will be deported, then why not sponsor them and, by using current laws and procedures, help them become citizens? Why be sneaky if you have nothing to hide?
If it is so "broken", then how is it that so many people are able to immigrate legally every year? What are your numbers on that? What does it say to those who stood in line and jumped through the hoops and did what they were asked when you call it a broken system just because those who don't want to do all that say it is?
Just once I'd like to hear from someone who can answer these questions and say exactly what part of the system is "broken". Is it just that there is a system that people have to follow which seems contrary to how they think America should work? Instead of rhetoric, just answer which laws specifically are standing in the way. I'd really be open to that info, and might change my way of thinking, if someone could specifically point out the problem areas inside the laws instead of just rhetoric.
As if parents would want to know if their child's teacher is an alcholic or drug abuser. And who would care if a teacher has struck a spouse or child? Or has been convicted of theft? None of that matters. All that matters is that teacher's position according to the teachers' union. It seems so typical lately how many people are more interested in self and power and control, and less interested in doing what they are there to do.
I'm a little fuzzy on this issue. If someone could help me or post a site.
If someone has a concealed weapons permit, will they (or are they currently unable to?) bring their handgun into a state park? Is this a blanket ban or just a hunting-type ban?
Of course the MEA is against it. anything that would tamper with the teachers' union is always a bad thing.
Wasn't "student performance linked to teacher and principal evaluations" part of No Child Left Behind?
The "autonomous innovation school" was a charter school idea that was beaten down by the teachers' union. Lacking such an option is why we don't qualify for this funding.
i just found out that veritas is the name of the roman diety for truth, and is where we get the term vertue from. just thought that it was interesting what i didn't know i didn't know. i just thought it was your last name or something.
i agree that they should do something about snowmachines and ATVs too. i get to listen to all those noisemakers year round. maybe someone should invent some system that pipes the noise into their drivers' headphones since they are the only ones who want to hear it.
how is any of this relevant to the debate? this is how he gets attention for himself and takes it away from the conversation at hand. don't give in! fight the urge! stay on topic!
if you get a job washing dishes and cleaning toilets, you'll HAVE next to nothing. you may not be able to go to a party and your feet and ego may ache, but at least you'll have earned something. everyone needs to start somewhere. welfare is a starting point, not a way of life.
actually at one time it was the family's responsibility to care for their sick, elderly, and children. BTW: if you actually look at the statistics, you'll note that most college grads. have to work 2 or 3 minimum wage jobs in order to pay off loans because the "higher paying jobs they get after graduation" just aren't there. ask a single welfare mom to get a job and you'll get berated for insensitivity even though they can get free childcare. granted, if they work, it effects how much childcare assistance they get. the fewer hours working equils more free childcare. i work with several who have had to make some tough choices about losing childcare assistance ($100 per week per child) or cuts in food stamps because they earned $40 too much (at dunkin donuts) the month before. i think that not helping working single moms is a bigger crime. at least they are trying. baby popping welfare dependent just aren't trying.
He has a right to say what he wants and take things in whatever contex he wants (usually incorrect). He's just looking for an argument, it doesn't matter what the subject or view point. And usually it doesn't get out of the name calling range. If you have an intellegent point make it, and just pass over the empty space.
Its not just in politics. When I lived in Bangor, holding the door open for an elderly person got you the 5th degree. Customer service skills are seriously lacking. But, people will also rip apart a clerk because their smile wasn't friendly enough or it didn't sound like they meant it when they said have a nice day.
In politics, the namecalling and bulling and grave dancing and finger pointing comes from both sides to both sides and sometimes to their own party. Just read the posts here. Nothing gets accomplished, ideas are not discussed, information is not passed, and time and space are just wasted.
I think there should be more VA hospitals. Many care takers or Veterans have to take a whole day off from work, and travel to Augusta. Some Veterans are unable to drive and must find someone to take them, paying for gas and tolls and possibly hotel rooms.
As a parent, I think I'd be ok with it. As long as everyone can be safe and it doesn't become a distraction. I just got done reading Middlesex, and it really gives quite a perspective on gender identity.
I'd agree, but the system is already over burdened by unwanted abused children and not nearly enough foster families. I really don't know what the answer would be. You can't force common sense and personal responsability on people, especially on those who profit from lacking these qualities. I just don't know.
Why should any african american, japanese american, jew, italian, franco, irish, islamic, woman, or hispanic risk their lives for a government of God fearing politicians to protect Americans who see you as defective human beings?
Because there are more distructive countries out there. Here, you can go where you want, when you want, with whom you want and if you're hassled you can bring them to justice under antidiscrimination and harassment laws. You can speak whatever language you want and worship whoever or not. There are ignorant, loud mouthed fools and tolarent, wise warriors. Everyone can find moments of each and you can pay attention to whichever you choose. Since everyone can be ignorant at times and tolarant at other times, there are laws to protect both.
You don't fight to protect those who see you as defective. You fight for those who see you as human.
also absent is how often hospital departments that are in need of new equipment, training in new proceedures, and more staff and supplies are put on hold due to a funding crunch
There will come a time when older more experienced workers will fall ill or retire. There will be few who can replace them since the older are hanging on to jobs longer. Even trying to find a job now is a challange for up and comers because most want experienced help only. How do you get experience if you can't get the job to get experience? Who will replace the older more experienced workers if new workers aren't able to learn in temp positions?
Did it ever occur to you that the police are "harassing" you because you are engaging in dangerous behavior? You may be about to cause a car accident, hit another pedestrian, or get hit yourself. Yes, the police do have better things to do then warn teens about how their lack of common sense is a danger to others. The world does not revolve around you, and you must be aware of the world around you. I do agree that you and your friends should take the initiative and design a skate part, just like teens in most other towns have done. That is, if those harassing police will allow you to.
Maybe her union could pay for paid sick leave for every parent who works at a gas station or corner store, and kick in some money for the employee who will be paid to cover the shift. Paid sick leave costs the employer twice for the same job: once for the sick, once for the cover.
also add:
Allowing production jobs to move overseas
Outsourcing, outsourcing, outsourcing
Giving out house loans to people who could never afford them
Allowing credit card companies to raise rates to amounts that prevented people from paying off balances
A war that we can't possibly win against relegious zelots in a completely different culture
Extending social security and welfare benefits to as many as need them to the point that there are more receiving then giving
Wait...those are Clinton and Bush and Bush and Regan era problems that are just now catching up to us. We only inherited the problems from past administrations, we're not responsible for them.
So in 2003 she slipped in someone's spilt soda which was done because of the center's negligence and fell on her backside and got some money from the Rockland Mid Coast Rec Center. Now, Auburn is out to get her by purposefully designing and building and maintaing a timekeeper/scorekeeper box just so that she can get hit in the face with a puck. She should stay away from sporting arenas because they are all out to get her. But then, how would she get attention and free money?
I bumped my elbow today. I put it in a sling because it hurt soooo much and couldn't work. Can I sue to city and get money too? Life shoots lemons at you, you make lemonade and get a life and move on.
Are they sure all of the injury comes from the puck? Should, say, a tooth that was already covered during a previous lawsuit and became looser from this incident be covered? This is why there should be a limit to the amount of times a single thing can be sued over. Yes, she has to live with the consequences for the rest of her life, but she should just move on before it begins to cost her money and respect. Perhaps a cap on the number of times a person can sue in a year? Some people add greatly, if not completely live off of, this sort of thing. It becomes addictive, free money for just getting a boo boo. People like this put too much strain and stress on all organizations and businesses and take so much away from events.
They just prefer the sound of chainsaws, lawn mowers, ATVs, snowmobiles, and pick ups with a glasspack or straight pipe instead of a muffler. The sound of our guys and gals training overhead would just drown out the sound of all their freedom.
Businesses move to where ever labor is cheapest, thereby passing on the "savings" on to the consumer. Lewiston textile mills went south to Mexico (the country not the town). From Mexico, to China. From China, to Vietnam and Korea. Africa is the likely next move. Lewiston suffered from joblessness because of products that could be made cheaper thousands of miles away and shipped back to us. Our country has suffered in many ways because of globalization and outsourcing. We are now a people at the whim of others, hogs to slaughter, and through our own laws have found ways to prevent creativity and productivity. I love this country, but hate what has become of it and hope that we can change it for the better before it is too late.
Burning fossil fuels is bad because they will run out long before winters in maine completely cease to be. The Earth has been hotter and colder then today, and those changes occured naturally not by man made issues (yes meteor strikes are natural). I do think that we are having an affect but not as drastic as it is made out to be but we should be more careful with our resources. Hence, wind power and hydropower and solar power and any other renewable power supply. And EPA and yuppy scum be damned. Put a wind turbine in my back yard and cut me off the grid.
Teenagers need the most care and guidance. All children should be encouraged and given a gift and made to feel special. Some don't get that at home, especially as they become teens, and it's hardest this time of year for them.
Christmas is not the only time to remember the poor, but for Christians to celebrate the birth of He who gave hope to the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the forsaken. In His spirit, lets remember those less fortunate, and help them all year round.
It's true that Jesus didn't discriminate. He helped the leper, the whore, the tax collector, and the soldier alike. How they got that way didn't matter. Sometimes all He could do was heal their spirit so that they could be happier. However, He never asked that a man give more then he could until his house suffered. He also said to Ceaser what is Ceaser's, to God what is God's. He also said "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime".
We should help eachother as much as we can as often as we can, but not to the extent that the giver suffers. We should also encourage those who try, those who think they can't, and those that don't want to try to become responsible and self relient.
I think that we should be able to disagree with a person without being called a racist. Just because his skin is a different color then mine shouldn't mean that I have to agree with everything he says and does, nor is skin color the reason to disagree. I disagreed with Bush's policies and behavior too, does that mean that I'm racist? Or are you only a racist if you disagree with a person's policy when that person has a different skin color?
This is Maine. Here, we punish the local VFW for holding a cribbage tournament without a gaming license. We tell some Native American tribes that they can't have gambling on their own land, yet allow another to have high stakes bingo. We let one town have an off track betting facility with thousands of slot machines and soon to be added card tables (the law is being altered to allow the "small business" to expand), yet no other town can consider it.
Bangor Baldacci will never allow it. How many times has Oxford County and various Native American tribes tried to build? Baldacci has already promised that he'd veto any competition to The Queen City's casino...i mean Hollywood Slots off track racino with thousands of slot machines, and soon to be added card tables.
Ya, Bangor is such a hole now! They have such a high rate of crime and poverty and Lewiston is such an untarnished gem. Ever drive to Foxwoods? The surrounding community is such a trash strewn shambles.
Her "friends" are just as much at fault. One "drove in front of her flashing her lights at on coming traffic", as though flashing lights indicate a drunk driver. What idiots. They all should be punished for such stupidity. Her mother should be put in jail right along side, since she seemed to know her kid was drunk. Maybe the sweet, happy, loving young lady should have to pay child support for the 3 year old she left motherless. This was not an accident. There is more then enough education and info about drunk driving that there is no reason that any of these people didn't know what could happen and should have taken the initiative to stop it. They just didn't want to insult their friend, were sitting there having a great time while their friend made a criminal of herself, and wanted someone and something to talk about. They should all be brought up on charges of negligence or something for their hand and knowledge of this powder keg that their friend held a match to.
People always complain that the police used poor judgement. What about the perp? She could always have stopped when the police said to. People always complain that the police chased someone and someone could have gotten hurt which is true. Yet they never say a word about the perp that ran and the damage they cause. In a perfect world, perps wouldn't run and cops wouldn't have to chase them. I hope they lock her up, make her do rehab, repay the damages she caused. But she won't, she has too many problems and just can't be expected to take responsablility of herself.
Why did this go to CAIR anyway? There are Muslim advacacy groups in Maine that could have been of much better help. Did they contact CAIR, or did the family, or did that relative in Canada? This was just a completely botched situation, blown completely out of proportion, with nothing to show for the time and energy that was wasted on it.
How are muslims treated in our state. Lets see: Food stamps, MainCare, MediCare, WIC, Section 8, free education, and all the other "perks" that any other poor white christian Mainer has the ability to get. She may have had a problem with English translation for all you know, or was new and didn't know what the policies were. Were you personally present to witness this ACTUAL situation? Or are you just drawing on personal feelings that have little to do with this ACTUAL situation?
Really? Waterfront property? IN FLORIDA? How can that be? Florida is a peninsula, so it doesn't have a coast right? I hope you're not the teacher in the family, or at least that your math is better then your geography. Actually, my sister wants to move to Florida and would probubly really enjoy waterfront property if you're really interested in selling.
Something that has been overlooked is that the Muslim family contacted an outside resource that did NOT contact the school. Contacting a go-between is a wise choice in this matter, since passions were so high. The go-between just didn't "go between" and find out what was going on. It had a knee-jerk reaction and tried to embarass the community. This kind of thing does not help anyone.
People do realize that animals tend to have litters, can overpopulate quickly, spread diseases throughout their own population as well as ours, and freeze and starve to death? Hunters and trappers pay to be allowed to control animal populations that we, the taxpayers, would otherwise have to pay game wardens to control. And as for people who will complain about sprawl, where do you and your EPA friends live? If you live in caves or trees, your taking animals' homes away. If you live in a house, you are contributing to sprawl.
Also, the majority of those who call themselves environmentalists are just as wasteful as the rest of us. They always want everyone else to go out of their way to save the planet, yet they will fly in private jets and don't even think of taking away their hot tubs. When I was in elementary school, we were drilled on environmentally friendly concepts. Wind and hydro powers were supposed to save us all. Now, those will endanger fish and fowl. Come up with new plans and quit whinning when we do what you want.
On a side note: It's been unseasonally warm, which has cut back on fossil fuel used for heating use. Which should be good for the planet, except that it has been unseasonably warm which is bad for the planet.
The hippie generation raised awareness about mind expanding drugs and free love and community sharing. That was what they passed on to their children: drug abuse, promiscuity, and socialism. Dean wrote in the common vernacular of the hippie and rocker generations. Would you have prefered Homie and Dog, the current vernacular?
I think that pre-K programs are great. Believe it or not, there are children who are not in day care programs and have limited exposure to others their own age (stay at home rural moms, people who rely on family for babysitting b/c day care is too expensive). Pre-K gives these kids a chance to begin the transition between home and school, as well as early testing for learning and behavioral disorders that can sometimes use that extra year to sort out. Then, they start Kindergarden with the same kids as Pre-K, so it's less traumatic for them in Kindergarden.
Early American settlers, I mean Native Americans, didn't have socialized medicine. They all worked very hard everyday, and found ways that those who could not work could still contribute to the group. Their groups didn't anywhere near match the numbers we have today. We don't really know much about cancers, birth defects, life threatening illnesses and accidents since they left no written records, and those who held the pen were not competent to write Native American histories. Each Native American nation held their own beliefs, cultures, art, histories, and traditions. The people along the arctic ring practiced infanticide during periods when food was scarce, ancient frozen remains have shown. The Anasazi grew too big for their environment, overpopulated and overcut the trees, and eventually died out due to disease and war, archiological evidence and environmental studies have shown. Life expectency was also much shorter for most, especially after those who held the pen arrived.
I've always been curious as to why we'll try to cover abortions but not birth control. Should those who are morally against abortion be expected, through their tax dollars, be forced to pay for them for women who won't keep their legs closed? Rape, incest, and mother's health issues are not matters of convenience, like other matters. Couldn't the govt. save money if they help pay for the birth control and tube ties, or offer other incentives, rather then abortion after abortion after abortion after abortion?
It was also not Bush's War that pushed women's treatment in the middle east into the dark ages. It was religious and cultural norms that had been in place for a millienia, we just didn't notice before. They can also be stoned for refusing to have sex, stoned for being raped, and stoned if a man saw her brushing her hair by a window.
That poor tourist was only skiing all day, decided to drive home tired, passed several gas stations and rest stops, before falling asleep and causing an accident that took the life of one good man and affected the career (trailer truck insurance and licensing laws don't identify with at fault cases, the TT driver is always punished) and health of a second. The only explanation was that the deceased or the TT driver was drunk or on drugs and caused the accident that the poor tourist was in, not bad decisions made by the tourist. She shouldn't be punished after all, she only made a mistake.
Great! Halt all local development projects! Deter the tourists! Overcharge the residents more to preserve land that they can't utilize! We must preserve a butterfly that has only been seen twice in 100 years!
This is coming as a shock, but I do agree with queenhoneeybee. To say that they are filthy and smell is an unnecessary attempt at a low blow and can be construed as racist, though it is your right to think that. I do agree that since they are here, they must follow our laws and regulations. When I was in H.S., a group of teens used to gather around the flagpole and pray BEFORE the start of the school day. The were told to stop because it was being done on school property, they weren't a school authorized group, and the school couldn't show favoritism to one religious group. This was about 15 years ago. Where are the groups that fought to keep prayer out of school now? Caught in between a rock and a hard place: protecting their rights and being called racist, or siding with one religious group over another. I bet those groups never thought this would happen, which is why they are now silent on the matter. I think that if they are going to have a prayer room for one religious group that it should be open to any student of any religion who wants to pray, and that that room should be monitored for safety, and controlled with times and student capacity and scheduling. That would show tolerance of all cultures and religious organizations. Muslims in this country must be tolerant of other cultures and religions too.
A family friend worked as an investigator for DHS back in the '80s investigating for fraud and dead beat dads. He had 5 people under him at one point. By the early '90s, his staff was cut and his caseload doubled. He has long since retired, but has stories and lessons. The staffing cuts often come first from those responsible for investigating, reporting, and preventing fraud. Making it easier for people to qualify for job placement assistance, education and training would get more people off assistance and back into paying jobs sooner. Where these jobs will come from is still a mystery, but the pride in the accomplishment of getting a much needed GED or training can be a real boost to people's morale. Is birth control covered by MaineCare yet? Some people have said that those unemployed that are capable could run a community garden which could help offset food costs, who knows how plausable that would be.
My question is not just about who will pay for this, but also who will work. Employers don't have a bottomless supply of ready made employees to cover call-outs. It takes time and money to hire, train, and schedual new employees, even per diem staff who may or may not be able to cover on a given day. While this would offer a limited supply of jobs to a limited number of people for a limited amount of time, this isn't as plausable as it seems.
Undocumented wokers (illegal immigrants) should not be charged a fine for not having insurance since they are not citizens and should not be forced to pay like citizens. But, they should't have the same access to benefits that citizens have without having a way to track undocumented worker payments for these benefits. What are the specific hurdles that prevent undocumented workers from becoming citizens or documented workers? Why aren't those hurdles specifically identified and addressed? This would allow them to have a better life, without fear of deportation, and to help pay their way, since that is (the reason we're told) is why they are here. And why aren't current immigration laws upheld? Is this all too much work for the paper pushers in Washington to deal with?
You must have missed the comments from No on 1. From vocalizing hopes that only once the elderly are gone that homosexuality will be accepted, to the the continuous use of the term bigot, and assumptions and finger pointing, the No on 1 people behaved no better.
I remember when I was in the LHS marching band. The greatest honor was being in the veteran's day parade, and continuing a tradition to honor our troops. We also had the Maine State parade, the Old Port Festival parade, and a few football games. Weekend compititions were drum and bugle style, with heavy compitition, staging effects and costumes, judges from Mass., real place trophies (not the everyone gets a trophy just for showing up kind), and over 20 bands from across the state broken up into 4 divisions based on band size. Through fundraisers, we paid our own fees and transportation. That was 12 years ago. Thats all gone now.
I quite agree. Didn't New York just do something with this a few years age? A study that showed that picking up trash and taking pride in an area attracted business and tourists, increased tax revanues, contributed to public health and safety, and increased residents pride in themselves? Was it something about redeveloping Times Square?
Thank you for demonstrating real moral character to students, parents, and polititions. The popular way to "appologize" is to say "sorry, but...." and make your mistake someone else's fault.
By taking responsibility for a mistake, you show that you have great moral compass for directing Auburn's youth.
It is best to admit a mistake and try to restore honor.
My husband is an Eagle Scout from the Kitadin region, and he has maintained his friendships with others that he camped with. From what I understand about scouting, it has more to do with friendships, community, volunteering, teaching skill building and the value of working toward a goal, as well as being the only positive exposure that some boys have with father figures, brother figures, and nature. Church basements serve as community centers in some areas, and are respectful of that role. People of different religions are respected since scouting has little to do with religion, yet still must honor the belief systems that individual people come with.
It should be kept availible to bikers as well as hikers, since both enjoy the terrain and there is no reason to establish seperate trails. There have been no hikers or bikers injured, no fights over right of way, and a friendly hiker or biker can always be of assistance in an emergency for another hiker or biker. Lets keep Maine moving!
Remarkably, this has been Maine's first Amber Alert since it was enacted. Mistakes were made, but much went right. It was a learning experince for many in Maine's media, the first time outside of training sessions that they had to really do it. If there is another alert, then the JSJ and other Maine newspapers may be better able to react now that they see where their bugs are.
Northern Maine has few towers and huge tracts of landmarkless roads. The nearest hospital can be 45 minutes to 2 hours away. In situations when seconds count, "take a left where the old barn used to be" and "if you get to the Griffin farmstead you've gone too far" doesn't really work very well. More towers would take away from the natural surroundings, but that may be what is needed to help triangulate a cell phone and lead emergency workers to an injured person. Would better satilite coverage help? Better tracking equipment for call centers and emergency personel?
Name calling and put downs well get your point across to someone. Just like picking a fight with me has. Look at all the time you could have been contributing to a debate, but instead wasted time in an argument that did nothing to further your cause. And you say that your superior and that i have a mental disorder!
I have no sympathy for those who choose to be uneducated, and then cry about it. I have less for those who resort to name calling to make attempts at points.
You got paid to arrest people who questioned the government and government policies? BTW: You are sitting behind a computer too. Please don't call others A-Holes ("I got paid to arrest A-holes like you who ran their mouths in public") just because you don't agree with them. Everyone has a right to voice opinions, no matter who agrees or disagrees.
I am sorry, when you said school i thought you meant college. However, you said he had been working for 22 years, so he had that much time to get a GED and plan ahead. He has been out of work for 2 years and only recently been diagnosed, he could have gotten a job 2 years ago.
i am sorry that he made some bad decisions in life and now suffers.
But my origional issue is with people who milk the system, and get everything the need without working for it. So we are actually on the same side, since your cousin who wants to work and works hard to better himself can't get the help he needs because so many others tap the system that those in need "don't qualify".
The afterlife is a huge part of religion so stop pretending it isn't. Again, just because you don't like it when people say someone is in a better place because your logic tells you otherwise, does not mean that that person can't believe in it and find solice in it without someone going all "logical" on them.
Actually, there have been many studies that show that cell phone use has increased the number of accidents. The Highway Safety Commission has released stats if you want to check. Also, Maine is not the only state in the union to do this, just the latest. Also, many Mainers, like myself, live in areas without buses or a taxi service. The radio doesn't need to be played with, just set it before you drive off and live with it, or turn it off. If your kids don't know how to behave in the car, pull over and teach them. If your passanger requires all your attention off driving, then don't have a passenger. Common sense makes people responsible for themselves, which is why it's no longer used and must at times be legislated.
Your cousin could have found a job flipping burgers full time at a benefited food service job (yes they do exist) and going to school at night. I work in food service benefited job with people that do just that. There are also cleaning services, grocery, and security jobs. The problem is often that it's a job that people just aren't willing to lower themselves to do. They don't want to start at the bottom of the bottom and work their way up. The work stinks, people's attitudes stink, and the pay stinks. But it's employment. There have also been job fairs, there is the career center, back to work programs, career counceling, and flexible work and school scheduals. Unemployment is nice, but not a lifestyle and lends itself to the winds of government finance change.
I'd like to appologize for losing my head, taking a cheap shot, and going on a rant. I recognize that I just did what I kept telling others not to do. I am sorry.
However, the death of a loved one, especially a sudden death a young person, is a very emotional one. It is a bad time to start a religious debate over what happens after death. In this country, we have the right to find solace how we want. And, just as you are entitled to your beliefs, others are too. I would have stood up if the comment had been regarding Hindu reincarnation, or dancing around a fire at midnight, or any other religious belief regarding the afterlife.
Just because you have a problem with religion, doesn't mean everyone else does too! That is THEIR BELIEF just like YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BELIEFS! If you have a problem with religious beliefs consoling mourners, then you live in the wrong country! And I pray, yes pray, that you will never be put into those parents shoes since you will obviously have little to console you! And if you have a problem with the LSJ printing a quote or writing about this person's life in their church or about how their church fellows are reaching out to them or anything positive about christians, TOUGH!
I agree, that cell phone users are overly distracted. People are overly comfortable in the car, and forget that they are operating and are responsible for a 5000+ lb torpedo traveling at a high velocity. I think that people who have been responsible for an accident attributed to multi tasking should result in the same higher insurance rates that drunk drivers get.
They complain as though they aren't already subjected to noise from snowmobiles, ATVs, lawn mowers, snow blowers, and great old rebuilt mudrunning pick up trucks, all of which I find more annoying, goes on for hours, and lasts all hours in the day and night. But thats just outdoor fun and chores for many. BTW: I grew up in the landing pattern of the Brunswick NAS, so I am familiar with the sound of planes especially around the time of their air shows. We just turned it into a game of identifying the plane types based on site and sound. All the people in western Maine have to do is make believe they are on their snowsleds, ATVs, or mowing their lawns.
I think that the term "second class citizen" is becoming overused in that anyone who has to follow any rule or restriction is using it. Overuse lessens the impact. Shame on LSJ for overprinting, thus lessening the term.
How is it that your a "second class citizen" because you can't go on a limited few lakes? I must be a third class citizen since I don't own a kayak, can't afford a kayak, nor have the means to transport a kayak. How unfair!
How will it be funded? The assumption is that employers can afford it yet choose not to. The reality is the ones who don't really can't. The Maine workforce is already paying for an array of services.
Who will replace workers while they are home? Not every company can hire an endless supply of short term replacements (who need to be paid, trained, covered, scheduled, and terminated), and some jobs are not be cross-trainable.
BTW: We had 12 call outs over 3 consecutive days last week. Many had to stay late in order to continue services uninterupted. Overtime pay is not always approved, even in such times.
Maine Care determined that my challenged daughter didn't qualify for coverage and that we didn't qualify for WIC. Of course so many qualify for both who really need it since they "can't" find jobs or "can't" work. That is what happens with blanket government coverages. More people who need it will be denied, and yet will have to pay for it. Fair? Very much to those who will never work.
Ya, there is nothing worse then people who disagree with the president's policies having rallies. Especially since they are so under educated that they have the audacity to think that they know what is best for them. Your right queenhoneybee, we shouldn't allow THOSE people to have their say. We should prevent anyone who disagrees with the government from ever speaking or assembling. Perhaps they should be arrested, imprisoned, and seperated from the rest of society. Unless of course they are saying what you agree with, right?
I do believe that we do have the right of free speech, and the right to assemble. Or are those only rights if you agree with the participants?
I am sorry, Mr.Klaus. I had family in Germany, too. Emotions are running too high for rational thought and it's all about shock value. By using the atrocities of the holocaust for public shock for an issue lessens the issue and is disrespectful to the memories of those who are gone.
They live here part time for 2-4 years, and insulated on campuses. Again, why not let tourists who come here every year vote? How many other states actually allow non-resident students to vote in state issues? And, how many votes for No on 1 came from non-Maine-residential students?
Issue 1: Another dumb teenager who lacks enough character to walk away and be disliked.
Issue 2: Some people's lives evolve around their children, particuly stay at home moms. They lose some focus on the outside world and outside lives and themselves. When you want to talk "kid stuff" go see them, when you want adult conversation find other friends.
National Guard Issue: What would be enough study time for environmentalists? Also, snowmobiles, ATVs, and those great old, rebuilt, mud running pick up trucks tend to be much louder and for much longer durations. Just more fun for the locals.
"Got Your Bags, Maine": Lower the price of reusable bags, or hold a free give away day, or offer them instead of plastic bags and you've got yourself a deal. Remember: Cost and convienience are what make or break recycling programs for today's busy, cash strapped people. (All rhetoric aside)
Roxbury: Pay attention, dig your heads out. Now you have to waste time and money examining a defunct bill because of a knee jerk reaction concerning wind farm construction, I'm sure. Maybe next a petition to prevent people from passing petitions without presenting physical proof of Ordinance changes. Or the petition signers could just attend local meetings.
Beer and Wine Tasting: Blackening windows and doors and putting up signs has always worked to prevent children from entering a banned area and getting an eyeful. Our detached government at work.
Check out the Maine government. How many times have we had an issue or a tax jammed through because it was in our best interest, then had to recall it and have a vote? You are the one focused on a "birth certificate" and missed the point of the letter. Lets increase welfare spending instead of spending on job training, rehabilitation, industry investment/job creation. Cradle to the grave support is a great idea, but not sustainable, especially with an aging population with fewer people to replace them. Increasing the length of unemployment benefits will help many today, but not forever. Dumping trillions of dollars into failing companies and programs aren't going to make people buy overpriced bad products, nor increase or stabalize the workforce.
Paul seems to not have noticed that every article about that vote has been written about how horrible we are and how unfair it is and how the g/l community is going to force the issue anyway. Also, the vast majority of letters to the editor that are printed are about the same, and many responses call for the death of the elderly, often fall into name-calling, and end in a "urinating contest" (Though they'll allow the term "bigot" to be flung around, I didn't think they'd allow the real phrase).
Colleges are traditionally the breeding places of liberal, anything goes ideas and movements. Then the students graduate and have to live in the real world, and typically change their minds. Look at the Baby Boomer Generation. Sit ins and political rallies were the norm. They were going to change the world with free love and mind altering drugs. Then they grew up, found out that their parents were right about those drugs and free love, and that expanded welfare was good on paper but not sustainable. Most of those old fogies that many No on 1 people want to hurry up and die won't do so anytime soon since their babyboomers and have healthcare, and they are replaced by a younger generation of people who've grown up believing in open-mindedness and diversity, yet go back to their conservative roots as they age.
The comments weren't about students from Maine who live in Maine and stay in Maine. It's about students from Oklahoma or Michigan or Texas who come for the education and go home. As for them using the roads, ect., and having the right to say how their money is spent. Why don't we allow tourists who vacation here from other states have a vote too? A Bowdoin College employee that I know was rather disquested that students can come here, vote, and NOT LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES of those votes, including higher taxes and fewer services. That is the problem.
Isn't the big concern about the H1N1 is that it has a higher potential to mutate into a more dangerous virus and seems more easily communicable then the common flu's abilities to do so? Since viruses (a piece of different DNA and protein) utilize a body's DNA to "procreate" (a very abbriviated explination), each new case has the potential to change into a much more deadly, extremly communicable strain. Also, where hand washing helps with the common flu, H1N1 is communicable even prior to the onset of symptoms, which can be up to 10 days of exposure, and can be spread to people within a 6 foot area, or the spray length of a sneeze.
That said, the only people thus far to have died are those who had underlying medical conditions,
like heart problems or other severe illnesses, are elderly, or are pregnant which can tap a women's body defenses. Most people get it and get over it and move on in life.
Also, you probably shouldn't get the vaccine if you have a cold or other flu because that can tax a body's already tapped immune system. But thats up to you and your doctor.
I appologize to all the heterosexual people who are called "bigot" and "nutcase" because they have a different point of view then the darlings of the political spectrum. And queenhoneybee, do you have opinions about anything else since i've never seen you post anything anywhere else? Mabey we agree on other issues, or are you afraid that enemies in one arena can be allies in another? While this issue has split people (and our enemies are laughing while they plot), we are all facing the same much larger and much more dangerous enemies: a pendemic, war, financial crisis.
It's not what you inherit its what you do with it. I can inherit a junk truck, then sell off the parts or build art sculptures or build a better truck or sell it. Or I can whine and point out that it's not my responsibility and that all I did was inherit it. BTW: Under Bush, stimulis money was sent to consumers to spend or save. Under Obama, stimulis money was sent to failing wall street executives, failing large companies, and failing banks all of which are now doing sooooo well. So, who was for "Big Corporation" and who was for the common working man? Most of the countries economic woes are due to our own greed at buying houses we couldn't afford, using credit like it was a bottomless well, living well beyond our means, and spending more then we could ever hope to pay back. Reality was going to happen eventually.
It is true that we have an engorged welfare state that sucks the life out of the working person. In an effort to never exclude those in true need, we give to anyone who can act like they have a need. Dropped out of H.S., got pregnant, never had a job for more then a week, and have a drug prob.? Heres everything you need for the rest of your life without taking resposibilty for yourself because you deserve it. We'll just make the veterans, elderly, and disabled children wait in line and jump through hoops. And God help the working person who gets injured and needs some short term assistance. Those less worthy souls (veterans, elderly, children, injured workers) are helped on paper, but rarely in real life and rarely to the extent of those honerable people who just made a few mistakes and deserve to be carried for for the rest of their lives.
Give a man a fish, you'll feed him for the day. Teach a man to fish, and you'll feed him for a lifetime.
What was inflammatory about Pirate's comments? The term "civil union" or the word "comprimise", which would bring more support to the g/l communtiy then the favored word "bigot" has?
Respect has many meanings apparently. Respect does not mean that the minority will always get what it wants. It means that the majority allows the minority to have a voice. Gay/Lesbians had their friends in Augusta pass a social change bill, and they had just as much publicity (if not more) and air time during the months leading up to the election.
The troop greeters are great people for doing that. Too bad they forget that the jerk that didn't move the seat back to the exact same location and needs to be loudly "corrected" since "humiliation is the best teacher" and "they shouldn't have to" adjust their own seat, is the same returning soldier they greeted not long before. Yes, I lived in Bangor, and worked with a soldier, and witnessed that exchange.
You are right that we did radicalize after Pearl Harbor and horrifically punish many innocent Japanese immigrents right here on American soil. That is the tough point that the article is trying to make. We don't want to punish innocent persons, yet how do we identify and locate dangerous persons and prevent them from killing innocent persons without insulting other innocent persons? You can point your fingers and claim that we invaded and that the soldiers got what they deserved, as I know some people out there will write. Did you forget 9/11/01 already?
And, yes, I have been unjustly targeted by members of authority trying to prevent others from doing harm, which they still did while the authority figures were busy with me. Those that do the most harm are chamilions, able to hide in plain sight. But, like I said, it is a tough position to identify the innocent from the guilty.
Since homosexual civil unions are legal in Maine, why not expand on those rights? Civil unions exist so that people can have legally authorized unions without church interference. It gives people that religious institutions would not marry the rights that religiously married couples have. That is the seperation of church and state. If the civil union rights aren't the same, then those should be changed to reflect the changes in society.
Also: Since the No on 1 people have already promised to put us all through this again, stop the name calling, moral judgements, strong words, and hopes for older people to die. That kind of thing tends to stick with voters.
Then it is the fight with the insurance companies you want. Changing a word here may not change the company policy if that company's base is in a state that does not acknowledge homosexual marriage or if the policy does state it. If there is no last will and testament which states where the inheritance goes, it get tied up and used up. The social definition of marriage doesn't change that.
African Americans wanted a voice and a chance. Homosexuals already have both, including just as much acceptence as anyone else. All "people" are discriminated against, robbed, beaten, insulted, intimidated, and murdered. Ignorance, crime, and disease know no distinctions. Welcome to society.
"Everyone" includes every one, not everyone except.......
If thats what you mean then that is what you should say.
Example: Everyone adult should be allowed a loving, stable relationship EXCEPT for those adults that want it that with an underaged child, the age to be determined by the society one lives in.
I stated that in some countries (the same ones that kill homosexuals), adults are allowed to merry what we consider to be underaged girls. So, who is it that determines what is acceptable for marriage?
Yet, there are many cultures that send their daughters into marriage at what we consider to be underage. So, once again, what is the line and who can decide what that line is?
Teachers convey a number of things. They are human with an opinion. My niece's teacher worked in a No on 1 lecture during class time for her students to bring home. I have also heard of teachers inappropriate reactions concerning the president and soldiers going to war. I was trying to point out that, while No Child Left Behind "ties teachers down" as was mentioned in the blog I was responding too, there are many ways that teachers can still intentially or unintentially communicate personal political opinions on children who may or may not understand, but are still underprepared for adult debates.
I take it you haven't read many posts or spoken to many people in the last month because the Yes on 1 people have been labeled as homophobes. I do agree with you that the No on 1 people should take note. Labeling those opposed to you, name calling, utilizing out of state money and personel, and back room deals don't work with this crowd. Yes, Yes on 1 used most of those those, too, but their not the ones trying to change a social custom.
So we vote on it again today. And again tomorrow. And again. And again. Are you hoping to wear people down? If, after months of tv, radio, mail, door to door visits, home phone calls, and newspaper stories hasn't changed people's minds, would asking people to vote everyday on this until you get what you want really work? Also, just because you change the definition of a word doesn't mean that anyone would accept it. And, in this state, forcing such things have often had the opposite effect.
While teachers might not have time to teach an individual agenda, they can always slip in a comment, roll their eyes, change a voice pitch, or ask a pointed question. You are trained that there are verbal and non-verbal ways to communicate....and intimidate.
I just wanted to remind everyone that while we are divided on this issue, that there are still things that don't acknowledge race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation that we as a people must deal with.
I wasn't married in a church, but by a justice of the peace in the living room surrounded by friends and family. According to many christians, we are not married. Yet, most of society acknowledges our union. The only ones who said it didn't matter, besides the church, was the No on 1 people.
As for the "Right" religion, everyone has a right to their own personal religious beliefs. If someone doesn't agree with someone else, that is also their right.
There is still a war going on, which affects gay and straight and black and white and christian and non-christian soldiers and their families.
We are in a recession, and gay and straight and christian and islamic and jews and black and white alike are all losing homes and jobs or are otherwise affected.
There is a pandemic flu going around which also acknowledges no sexual orientation, skin color, or religion.
Lets keep in mind: there are still things that we are still all in together.
1. The special rights are, for example, after you lose your job, claiming you were targeted because of your sexual preference, not because of poor job performance or cut backs, and getting your day in court for it with all the expense, lost business time, negative publicity, and scrutiny for the former employer. Not everyone gets this right.
2. You are correct that many laws are passed without people voting on them, and many have come under scrutiny and recalled after a people's veto because people are tired of elected officials not hearing them.
3. Everyone is a member of an unpopular minority at one time or another, and yes it stinks. That is why we have elections where the majority rules, and yes that can stink, too.
4. Yes, marriage has been redefined many times throughout history, but always with the acknowledgement and acceptance of the people.
I'm pretty sure that the "death panel" comment followed one by someone who wrote to the effect that once the greatest generation people die off, that homosexual marriage will be made legal by the following generations.
I meant in general. Anytime anyone wants to have a conversation about a topic, the opposing party often times falls back onto name calling and smear tactics. That stuff might make the talking heads on tv more interesting, but it rarely leaves a positive lasting impression and any good points that follow are lost in a personal defensive shouting match. This seems to be the new debating method. One which leads to polarization with limited information or education exchanged, especially for emotionally charged topics which require both.
Churches are closing. Church leaders say that it is because of declining membership. So, how is it that an institution with declining numbers has such a power over people that are not a part of it?
You are right in that people do have a right to choose who they want to be with. We don't kill homosexuals like they do in many countries. The question was not if homosexuals have the right to exist, work, live, be educated, or be in a committed relationship. It was a question put to the public if they wanted to redefine a custom that has its roots in religion. If 2 guys or 2 girls are in a committed relationship, they can legally have a civil union with all the tax benefits that are included in a religious marriage, and most people will acknowledge their husband or wife.
Just out of curiosity, when the Federal Government passes a law to make sure everyone has full equality, will that also include pediphiles? They are, unfortunatly, included in "everybody". A 40 year old man concludes that he and his 10 year old concubine have a commited relationship and deserve marriage rights. As does his friends and their child brides. Who are you to say otherwise? Where is the line in "everybody" and who is it that has the right to decide?
Haven't read very many of the No on 1 comments have you? Or do you just agree with those hateful comments and only take issue with those hateful Yes on 1 comments that you don't agree with?
Vote No ran just as many ads. My niece told me that her teacher "had a soapbox moment" and lectured the class about why their parents should vote No on 1. Inappropriate use of class time? Yes.
1. People who are complaining about the Catholic Church seem to forget that Islam also forbids homosexuality, and even calls for killing them. Yet, to say that you want to see an Islamic mosques close is considered bigoted.
2. If people wanted others to stay out of their business, then they shouldn't have gotten their friends in Augusta to pass and sign a bill behind the backs of the same people whose beliefs they want to change.
3. Stop the name calling. This is a democracy, the people have spoken. If you're going to put this on the ballot again, name calling and attacking religion is going to alienate more voters.
I would like the Snowmobile Association of Maine to submit an environmental impact survey. ATVs anyone? How about snowblower and lawnmower makers, since that noise can last most of the morning or evening. We are tying our military's hands when it comes to training. I think that the national guard should be able to practice. The people in western Maine can just turn on their ATVs, snowmobiles, pick-ups, and rebuilt classic cars to drown out the noise.
You should learn to be more careful, or learn basic first aide. The med staff up there were probubly just as annoyed with you and your minor cut as you were with them.
I agree that by going to the hospital with a minor cut that only needed some gauze, glue, and a few band aids, you asked for the best aide possible, and anything less would have been cause for a lawsuit. Doctors lose about 60% of their personal income in malpractice coverage. Also, since Medicare and Mainecare are so behind in paying their hospital bills, the operating cost must be passed on somewhere.
Everyone seems to be underpaid for their work lately. How much do people who complain want? A paycheck PLUS free housing, free family healthcare coverage, free food, free cloths? Would that be enough? What would be enough?
Can teachers use items bought for classroom use as a tax deductable under work related purchases? Some kind of reimbersment for such things would be fair.
First, I agree that too often we hear "drivers share the road", but never bikers and joggers share the road. They complain about how nervous vehicles make them. Yet, on country roads lacking bike lanes and barely wide enough for 2 cars to pass each other, they ride in the middle or in large knots that block the road. I agree that bikers and joggers need to share the road also.
Secondly, I have been harassed and assaulted while jogging ON THE SIDEWALKS AND IN BIKE LANES in Sanford, Bangor, and Old Orchard Beach. Most just screamed profanities and made sexual comments. I've had glass bottles, water balloons, and all sorts of trash hurled at me. I was shot in the back with a paint gun in Old Orchard. I started bringing my cell phone with me, and just holding it to my ear and pointing has stopped people in mid throw. I wish I could say that this was all done by young boneheads, but sadly even middle aged people did it.
Is that the only thing you saw in what I wrote? Not that the Islamic communtiy is silent, or that most other countries prohibit homosexuality with the punishment of death. The only thing that made sense is a TV station comment. No wonder logic and common sense are dead in this country.
Education can happen at home as well as in the classroom. We should all take a vested interest in our children, not just dump them off on someone else. They are our responsibility, and while a teacher is a great tool, they should not be the only ones responsible. Why pay more? If people can homeschool, then we can help the teachers by helping to teach our own children. Flashcards, PBS, coloring and tracing books, shopping and bill paying and cooking, taking a walk, taking advantage of the public library, watching the evening news, and just talking are all cheep or free ways that we all can help. It is about educating our children, not the teacher's union.
A few years ago, we were asked to vote in legislation preventing workplace discrimination of homosexuals. Voters were assured that this had nothing to due with marriage. I voted to prevent discrimination. Following the win the very next day, comments were printed that marriage was next.
We were asked to vote on how individual businesses hired and fired employes, yet we were informed how we were going to define something personal.
Marriage norms are defined by the society, not the Christian Bible. I do find it interesting that the
Bible is often the target (or weapon), yet the Islamic Koran does define marriage and discriminate
against homosexuals. People of Islam are members of this community, and have the right to vote, yet their opinion has been completely overlooked and understated. Why is that?
If homosexuals think that they have it rough here, they should look at India, Afghanistan, and China's treatment of homosexuality. Remember, in the U.S., you have discrimination protection, the right to adopt, cable channel (LOGO), public demonstration allowences, media representation, organized groups and clubs, some church's acknowledgements, and partner benefits.
Imagine having a job where you come in early and stay late, all on your own time. Your pay raise, if you get one, is usually around 1%. You work weekends and holidays. Sick and vacation time is based on how much you work in a week, 40 hours gets you 1 hour of vacation time. There may or may not be someone to cover for you if an emergency pulls you away from work, and it "counts against you" on your evaluation. You have to deal with rude, degrading, and sometimes violent people with a smile and professionalism since anything less will "count against you" on your evaluation. Health insurance, if offered, is expensive since you make around $20,000 a year if you're lucky. Welcome to the service industry, which is the largest employing industry in Maine. Surprised?
Many of the families of these students work just as hard and don't have insurance options. Some may be facing losing their home and having to move. The teachers need to get over themselves. If they really did feel that teaching was their calling in life then what they receive in compensation would be sufficient since alternatives present significantly less.
Recent Comments
what's the body count in
what's the body count in lewiston this week now?
just curious
there is only one troll, and
there is only one troll, and you are not he
i've haven't seen much either besides complaints about noise and unprettifing the environment for the tourists. i have read about some interference with migratory bats out west, but the companies put some kind of beacon on the turbines that redirects them.
what does the parrot say? or
what does the parrot say? or did the cat get it's tongue? (gulp)
i don't think that the news
i don't think that the news paper would print the the really rancid stuff since that would violate their policy. what's here is the disney version because it is printable.
i don't think that the news
i don't think that the news paper would print the the really rancid stuff since that would violate their policy. what's here is the disney version because it is printable.
is that a recent picture of
is that a recent picture of cornell du houx? he looks like he's 16 or 18 in the pic, the article says he's 29.
what makes you think that the
what makes you think that the parents are any better? many of lewiston's kids are born into violence and poverty with parents who care more about how much assistance the kid is worth down at dhhs then the kid him/herself. sad but true. parents with alcohol and drug problems could care less about hiring babysitters or supervising their own kids. you are absolutely correct that educators are not babysitters, but unfortunately that responsibility is being thrust on them weather they can handle it or not. and you are beyond correct that parents need to start being more involved with their children. it's just not that simple.
as for the "attackers being somoli", there really should be some kind of a "cooling off" program between refugee camps and coming here, where they learn how to act. maybe some "parenting in the usa" classes would help, where they'd be taught by other immigrants how to help their children cope with the change in environment. here, i assume that those "attackers" are new arrivals from the camps where boys roam in packs with little parental oversight, and may be coming with single mothers with no cultural authority.
throw those two groups in together and watch what happens. basically, parents regardless of culture or income level need to supervise and parent their kids in order to prevent this type of thing from occurring.
what makes you think that the
what makes you think that the parents are any better? many of lewiston's kids are born into violence and poverty with parents who care more about how much assistance the kid is worth down at dhhs then the kid him/herself. sad but true. parents with alcohol and drug problems could care less about hiring babysitters or supervising their own kids. you are absolutely correct that educators are not babysitters, but unfortunately that responsibility is being thrust on them weather they can handle it or not. and you are beyond correct that parents need to start being more involved with their children. it's just not that simple.
as for the "attackers being somoli", there really should be some kind of a "cooling off" program between refugee camps and coming here, where they learn how to act. maybe some "parenting in the usa" classes would help, where they'd be taught by other immigrants how to help their children cope with the change in environment. here, i assume that those "attackers" are new arrivals from the camps where boys roam in packs with little parental oversight, and may be coming with single mothers with no cultural authority.
throw those two groups in together and watch what happens. basically, parents regardless of culture or income level need to supervise and parent their kids in order to prevent this type of thing from occurring.
maybe they should get yanni
maybe they should get yanni or kenny g. to play bangor's waterfront instead. perhaps performers should have to apply to play first, with questions concerning their political leanings being their decider. dixie chicks would be a sure vote.
"I am far from a political historian, but I do know music has played a special part in civil disobedience, especially when it pertains to our government," Gray said. the '60 demonstrated that, and you don't need to be any type of expert to know that. and they are right to be afraid of othersperforms cancelling because a performer was cancelled due to political statements. americian performers have the right of political speech, no matter who the president is.
we currently rent a mildewing
we currently rent a mildewing trailer with leaky windows, and i pay for my own oil heat and electricity. all the landlord does is collect rent. however, while paying rent is a "waste of money" and not the americian dream of home ownership, it is a roof over our heads and a secure place for my family in a good school district until we are able to afford better. and ya, my kid has a heart problem too, and it's expensive. no mainecare for us. or homeheating assistance, rental assistance, or food assistance. sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and take work (or several) you don't like in order to support your family in a lifestyle that you don't want.
about those mags: yes, they
about those mags: yes, they are about love triangles and failing and flings of female celebraties, rarely male. women like to gossip, its what we do, especially about other women, if not clebraties then each other. men just aren't fun to gossip about.
women have more life choices today then 70 years ago. yes we are aware of those choices and take advantage of them. no, the mags do not reflect that. they are gossip fodder, entertainment only. we're not stupid, stop assuming we are.
women are able today to make life choices depending on their own personal situation. some are able to best support their family by focusing on caring for their family. others support their family by both earning an income and caring for their family. some stay at home moms must return to the workforce because of economic issues, and luckily that ability is there. that is what freedom and choice is, and we have it. please stop politicizing mothers, wives, and women-hood in general.
one million bottles of beer
one million bottles of beer on the wall, one million bottles of beer. if one of these bottles should happen to fall, nine-hundred-ninty-nine-thousand-nine-hundred-nintey-nine bottles of beer on the wall!
where is the line of
where is the line of "terrorism" crossed with these people? it won't raise awareness of anything except peoples' blood pressures when they see what look like snakes hanging around and a bunch of happy people dripping about handbag material on what is supposed to be a normal ride home or to work. they'll be lucky to not get skinned themselves.
you don't need fireworks to
you don't need fireworks to make an explosive. they can learn that in science class or on the internet.
the problem is that those who
the problem is that those who abuse the system are hiding behind those truly in need. these cowards not only take funds away from those who really need it, they also benefit from your blanket protections. is making a person prove that they are who they claim demoralizing? not anymore then working 2 or 3 jobs to support yourself and your family just to watch ebt cards going for iphones, jewlery, ciggerettes, liquer, and lap dances. protect those in need, but get the slouches off the payroll.
early morning prank on manager
everyone who was on the opening crew of this business (we started work at 6 am) met at 5:30 am in the parking lot and took turns calling the manager on our cell phones to call out for the day. she figured it out by the fourth call out in 10 minutes and by the background noise.
again. people: dig your head
again. people: dig your head out of yourselves, put away your toys, and pay attention to the world around you when you are driving. thats a tough corner any way, but with a little patience, self control, and attention to the world around you, this doesn't happen.
when i lived in presque isle,
when i lived in presque isle, they did the same thing to catch people racing between mars hill and houlton, and mars hill and presque isle.
i can't believe that it is only march and there have been 21 highway deaths this year already. people: dig your heads out of yourselves, put away your toys, and pay attention to the world around you.
dhhs has been allowed to run
dhhs has been allowed to run amok for years. past administrations had given them free reign with little or no accountablity. like a bad habit, it will take time to break the cycle of mishandled information, lost or missing funds, and misguided policies.
also, wasn't dhhs at one time 2 or more departments that were combined into 1, and that was supposed to save money? would going back to that system provide better services and financial control? i don't remember much about it, just that they were combined into "dhhs" at some point, and it seems to have been in trouble since then.
this "tax shelter" has been
this "tax shelter" has been used and abused by rich yuppie land owners for years. just get rid of it and let them pay their tax share.
or st peter's?
or st peter's?
i have read 2 reports of this
i have read 2 reports of this incedent. was it in st mary's cemetary or st patricks?
now you have them, bar them
now you have them, bar them from appling for any type of public assistance again for the rest of their lives. oh, wait, what about their children whose names the benefits are under? the benifits are for their CHILDREN, oh, so thats ok, we have to support their children and the lying cheating parents have to go along with them, of course.
we have been talking to
we have been talking to police, prosicutors, and dhhs for YEARS and they are only catching on now. whenever someone does say something, we're accused of hating the poor/elderly/children/disabled, misunderstanding the situation, not knowing enough about the intricrasies of the department regulations, and that it's all just an anicdote anyway. we're tired of talking to walls, being accused of hate and lies, all while watching the abuse take place. none of this is a surprise, just like the "sudden abuse" of perscription drugs. people have known for years that it's been going on, there are parts of maine that you can't buy illegal drugs but you sure can get any pill in the whole damn rainbow on the street, all paid for by the good old state of maine. we know about it, we've been talking, but NO ONE HAS BEEN LISTENING!
when i lived in bangor, the
when i lived in bangor, the dhhs office had a line of snowmobiles behind it. so someone with a dibilitating back injury or someone who can't afford food/heat or someone who has no job has to drive their snowmobile to the dhhs office. welcome to all-paid-vacation land folks.
surprise
what a big shock. people have been telling that to reps for years. we were told that those were just anicdotes by people who hate the poor. surprise, surprise, surprise. you would think that if these dolts in dhhs really did care for the elderly, children, and the disabled that they would be doing everything that they can to ensure that the funds were not being misused and abused by lazy lay abouts.
she has a better chance now
she has a better chance now
i think that it's a great
i think that it's a great idea if we can get it off the ground. this could really help students in more rural parts of this state where advanced study and college prep courses are few. getting money for it would be the big prob.
ruby
we have a facebook page for my cat, ruby. we really do. we set one up for her (with a yahoo acct. for email) for games like farmville. can she comment?
what are the renewable energy
what are the renewable energy options? wind power? every time that option is looked at, people scream and do everything in their power to prevent it. hydroelectricity? same story, from the epa who are worried about fish. solar? property owners who complain that the panels are ugly and devalue their adjacent properties. nuclear? tried that, people are worried about another chanoble, or what happened in japan. if there's one that i missed, i'm sure it will be pointed out. people want renewable energy choices, just not in their back yard.
deadbeat moms are out there too
it's not just deadbeat dads. i work with 2 men who have full custody of their children and don't receive a penny of child support from the "mothers". the state won't even go after them. one of the guys is still expected to provide spousal support for his ex. hows that for a great system?
nope
apparently not
i'd like to stage a march and
i'd like to stage a march and get a legislator to represent me, the working mainer, for a change. unfortunatly, i'm too busy working and supporting my family to do it.
free speech?
maybe someone was exercising their right to free speech. the burning of an unused tent could be seen as a protest against occupiers living in the park.
bike safety
aren't you supposed to WALK YOUR BIKE when you cross the street? wear an orange vest when riding at night? use reflectors and a bike light when riding at night? be aware of traffic around you? few think about bike safety anymore, except for the people driving the cars.
i get sad when i see the
i get sad when i see the lines of cars during the summer coming into the state. while they bring their tourist dollars which support low income temporary service jobs, they also bring tons of carbon emissions while sitting in traffic jams. and i also remember the public service announcements in portland asking people not to deficate or urinate on the beaches or in the ocean.
i also get sad when i see corn fields and forests plowed under in order to build yet another house for some "environmetally concious" yuppie. great idea: lets build houses where we grow food, then inport food from somewhere else. what could possibly go wrong? it worked on manhattan island. and there is nothing like urban sprawl.
lets not get started on cemetaries, golf courses, and ski resorts. or how theres nothing like waking up on a bright maine morning to the sound of atvs and snowmobiles, which are being raced up the middle of the street during their seasons. chainsaws and lawnmowers are great too at 7am.
at least a wind turbine has a purpose that benefits me.
funny how the athiest always
funny how the athiest always pick on chritianity. why not question the muslum religion? is it because to question that would not make newsprint, and if it did the muslums would retaliate sometimes violently? if your going to spread hate about one relegious organization, you should name the others as well. that would hold everyone accountable for their actions, which is what was listed in the "humanisum" catagory.
unfriendly friendlys
the last time i went there was a fiasco. first they give me the wrong menu, then i couldn't order what i wanted when i did get the right one, i could hear comments from the "cooks" about spitting in my food and using food from the floor and garbage can (their "kitchen" was in the middle of the dining room), when i took my kid to the bathroom one of the "cooks" said "oh looks here comes freak out time", the food was cold when i finally did get it (we were the only customers there at the time), the server was new and got so upset and flustered by us that they had to make her serve us (again, we could hear the conversation) since we were so horrible. good riddence to bad rubbish.
if you want good food and service, go to the local family owned resteraunts. dube's cafe on sabattus street, uncle moes diner in sabattus, chummies diner in lisbon falls, and the settlement in sabattus all have good food and good staff. denny's in auburn is good too, open all night (ya i know it's a chain store, but it's better then friendlys).
$444 to feed a family of 3
$444 to feed a family of 3 for a month is a hardship? i have to feed my family of 3 on less then $300 out of pocket since we don't qualify for wic or food stamps. and since i get paid bi weekly i have to make $100-$150 worth of food last 2 weeks. most of my bills (electric, insurance, oil heat, rent, car repairs, ect.) come out of one of the 2 checks, so i can't always buy groceries 2x a month. so this is what we do to make things stretch:
we make bread dough from scratch (5# bag of flour on sale costs $2.50, use coupons to buy yeast), portion, and freeze it that way when we can't buy bread at least we have dough to bake. i buy meat in bulk then portion and freeze it, take out only what i need for that meal ($40 pick your own meat package at bourques lasts a month). we got a juicer at a yard sale, so i buy fresh fruits on sale, make, and freeze our own concentrated juices, then thaw and add water. i also learned how to jar my own jellies and preserve veggies, so i picked berries on the side of the road this summer and made jelly, and am preserving what i grew in my window sill garden. toiletries, cleaning products, and clothing i get at dollar or discount stores.
you know, there was a time before wic and food stamps when people still had to feed their families on very little and stretch what they got. they found ways. look to the past, talk to an old lady, learn how they did it.
who should decide which
who should decide which students should be educated, how, and what jobs best suit them? you? the government? a political party? shall we copy India's caste system, or go back to the '50s?
thats one of the draws that america has. anyone from any background can get an education and go on to get into any career they choose to apply themselves to. there have been so many people in the past who had to fight for the right to go to college because society and their teachers told them they could never do it because they were supposed to be mill workers and coal miners not physicists and doctors.
i don't know what the solution is, but it certainly isn't "pick and choose students' futures and only teach to that level".
i think that mr. ruff is
i think that mr. ruff is against the new bidder, if i'm reading the letter correctly. or are you refering to the previous blogger?
huh? i thought we were
huh? i thought we were talking about a questional bid to plow town roads. i'm also pretty sure that that idiom was also used to question any child of questionable paternalidge, mostly used for town gossip, which this complaint is also a form of.
do the american teacher
do the american teacher awards still exist? i remember that they used to honor a student-nominated teacher from each state.
when i was in jr high, we had
when i was in jr high, we had 3 bomb calls in 2 years. all we ever did was walk to the armery next door, wait there, go back after an hour or so, get lectred over the intercom for about 20 min, then move on with our day. times have changed.
i could care less about
i could care less about hocky. what is the heavy metal show that is coming? when i was a teen, i saw green day, rob zombie, monster magnet, and fear factory there (the last 3 were all on halloween night in '97).
i think that they do have a
i think that they do have a nursing program. they were prob. continuing with classroom educational needs that could be met there as well as the hands on at maine med.
i do think though that the whole mantality of "i'm going to vote to affect change in this area today then go home tomorrow and leave the people here to deal with it" is fishy.
same could be said for mr.
same could be said for mr. obama
about time
about time
just advertise the job. turn
just advertise the job. turn away those applicants who don't meet your specific needs, and accept those that do. if asked, just say that the "applicant doesn't meet your specific needs at this time, but you'll keep the application on file", just like all the other employers. this seems to be little more then a paid internship, so maybe you should advertise as such. or maybe talk to lhs guidence, and they might help set it up for you as a student's educational experience, as an internship.
high schoolers need job experience and a reference just like everyone else in order to compete, and since college graduates with little real world experience are getting to be a dime a dozen, an oppertunity like this can make a world of difference.
ya
ya. those poor apples did nothing wrong but be what they are. and whatever happened to toilet paper, shaving cream, and eggs?
other items
dental floss. toothbrushes. pennies. pencils. erasers.
kids are tought not to eat
kids are tought not to eat anything that is not packaged, or appears that the packaging has been tampered with, from strangers on halloween, and parents are suspecious of such. thems the rules. so, no apples. unless it's from the people that have that apple orchard and it has a candy coating on it. then the parents eat them, for the safety of the children of course.
isn't it a shame that the
isn't it a shame that the "fair trade certified" candy will get tossed unceremoniously in the same bag and eaten as all the rest, without aknowledgement or appreciation of the trade laws it embodies?
i think that any dog can be
i think that any dog can be trained to not bite or chase. while some breeds (like pit bulls who were bred to help control bulls) tend to be more naturally agressive due to breeding, they can be trained to overcome this by a patient and responsible "alpha". dogs are still animals and will act to their instincts unless trained otherwise. how can we protect the public from careless pet owners? we can't. you can't legislate intellegence and responibility and have people not find ways around laws.
congratulations to them! goes
congratulations to them! goes to show that innovation and talent go much ferther then government stimulus. i hope her business continues to go as far as she wants it to go!
the maine supreme judicial
the maine supreme judicial court is held at lisbon high school? what kind of micky mouse organization are we running here?
also: oh no! they're building a supermarket locally where people can buy food rather then travel to another town! and how dare hanniford be the largest employer in maine and want to create jobs for jobless people. as if someone who is unemployed would take pride in getting a low wage job working in a grocery store. the horror! the horror!
how much do you think that
how much do you think that day care costs? especially one that includes a pre-school criteria? it's usually $100 plus dollars a week, even if the center is closed while the workers are on vacation, you still have to pay to keep them enrolled. where do you think that money comes from? a familie's food budget or unpaid bills. with 2 working parents you don't qualify for help. or are you one of those "stay at home parent" people? 4year old classes are great for those kids whose parents "don't qualify", they help identify and intervene early on behavioral and acedemic problems like adhd or dislexia which even "stay at home parents" might not identify on their own. they set in place classroom and social skills that come into play in kindergarten. it is well worth it.
you all do that knee jerk
you all do that knee jerk reaction about the elderly and poor. it is everyones right to vote. but do you want a college kid form massachesetts, who is only here for a few months for a few years then goes "home" to work, voting on a local issue whose consequences you and the elderly and the children and the poor will have to live with? let them vote in national elections here, they can vote absentee in their home state elections if voting really means that much to them. and that goes for part time (vacationing) residents too. leave maine issues to maine residents who have to live with the consequences year round and their whole lives. that may sound horrible to some, but it is logical.
actually, all you have to do
actually, all you have to do is pick up that little green card, fill it out, and mail it back at your convience. i've done it quite a few times, and it really isn't that burdensome.
why is it that the people who
why is it that the people who cook your food, pour your coffee, bag your groceries, and clean your office for you are never thought of as a contributing workforce?
oh and by the way: my mom
oh and by the way: my mom worked and you know what that did to me? i have a great work ethic, i know how to balance a budget, use creative problem solving in the real world, i can sacrafice for my family, i'm more involved in my community, i'm strong enough to manage the healthcare of my special needs child as well as my husband when he had a head injury, and encourage my husband so that we could rely on him should something happen to me. PLUS i do all the shopping, cleaning, mending, gardening, jarring, tutering, bill paying, and cooking. but i'm not a REAL MOM because i bring in income to help pay bills. oh, and i have 2 college derees, no police record, no drug or alchahol or smoking problem, and i waited until after marrage before having children. thats the horrors of having a mom who works outside the home does to a child. and i'm not a rare case.
sorry people, i'm just a little sick of being told that i don't care about my child and i'm not a REAL MOM because i work outside the home.
has your wife ever made the
has your wife ever made the "i'm a professional mother" quote? has she ever suggested to these working mothers that they don't care about their kids? like i stated in a previous post, take out all the teachers and nurses who have children, keep them at home like your wife, and where will that leave the economy? how would it impact YOUR income if we remove half the spending power? would your wife be able to stay home and claim that you can't work outside the home and still be a REAL mother? if it works for you: great. don't crap on the rest of us, and keep your unfounded personal judgements to yourself.
i got the day off because it
i got the day off because it wasn't "my holiday to work", and i'm scheduled to have to use choice time for it even though i didn't ask for it off. my choice time pays $3 less an hour then if i work, so i'd rather go in. it's also not one of the 3 holidays that we get paid extra for if you do work, though we still use less staff then on a normal weekday. i should be glad for it in this economy though. just remember to thank that kid that gives your cup of coffee at dunkin donuts or who bags your groceries today because they aren't even getting what i am.
i just glad that someone is
i just glad that someone is finally adressing the "language barrior on the phone issue". if bring the jobs back from overseas and put them back in the hands of america's workforce, you will see unemployment numbers drop dramatically.
and
golf courses and atv/snowmobile trails
attention nurses and
attention nurses and teachers: if you have children, leave your post and be the heart of the home. don't share your talents and entusiasum with the world. don't care for and teach the children of others. stay home and sit on a well dusted shelf until needed.
attention husbands and fathers: get a good enough paying job, or two or three, to be able to pay for your family's shelter and food and healthcare all on your own, since it takes actual money to do so. and don't lose your job. if your wife, the heart of the home, complains that your not spending eough time with the family or helping her enough, just step up and do it all because someone has to.
or you could just not earn a paycheck, and sit on welfare. just look at how well that works for the families involved.
was that cmp customers, or is
was that cmp customers, or is that also counting bangor hydro customers (state wide outages)?
i thought that cmp did a good
i thought that cmp did a good job, the same as when we lose it in the winter. we lost ours during the storm, and got it back around 5:30 last night. there are a lot of rural roads, and with trees leaning on lines and branches cought up and lines down and transformers blown and a line disconnected off this house but not that one, there are alot of possible issues and they must take care of the big ones first, then go back for individuals. i had also heard that crews were brought in from canada as well as other states before the storm so that they were ready to run as soon as it was safe to go. i remember the ice storm of '98 and being without power for 2 weeks, so a few hours wasn't that bad.
not everyone can "dedcate
not everyone can "dedcate their entire lives to training for a sporting event" and "rise to the pinnicle". anyone can participate in toilet seat horseshoes as long as they have at least one arm. it's pretty much all inclusive. a bunch of people getting together and competing in events that they are actually qualified for, and haveing a good time being foolish for a weekend. just letting go, and not taking life seriously for a few minutes in these tough times, thats what the redneck olympics means. the olympics did not lose revenue, and the commetee is responding to the assumption that someone "might get offended". to paraphrase "waaaaaaaa!!!!"
as for the integrety of the olympics: the guy from the sudan that is competing in cross country skiing. 'nuf said.
i'm surprised that jeff
i'm surprised that jeff foxworthy isn't suing for using the term red necks which he undoubtly owns. after all, he borrowed and popularized the term from the american hicks in the same way that the olympic committee borrowed and popularized their term from the ancient greeks.
j/k sarcasam filter on
us either, and my kid has a
us either, and my kid has a heart problem. a co worker of mine (we're kitchen workers) whose husband has cystic fibrosis, doesn't qualify either. her income and his disability and social security disqualify them. they missed the mark by less then $100.
i have my dryer exhausting
i have my dryer exhausting back into the trailer rather then outside. we put a nylon stocking over the hose and clean out the lint after every load just like the lint trap inside. if i do a load a day, even a small load, we can heat to about 65 for the few hours we are home and awake, our theristat was set to 61. we also have a baseboard type space heater. last winter, we all slept in the same bed for about a month to conserve heating oil. my daughter has a heart problem, and when her lips turn blue we just have to try warming her in the shower first before wondering if theres an issue. last month i finally paid off last winter's electric bill, and now i have 2 months to pay off last years oil bill before i can order more. our rented trailer is old and drafty and doesn't hold well in winter. my husband and i both work and can barely make it through last winter i don't want to think about this one.
as for lihep: they cut my 64 year old mother's liheap assistance last year, and she's worked since she was 12 and still works 16 hours a week as a cna at an alzymers nursing home to suppliment her social security. however, my chronically unemployed brother in law and his stay-at-home-mom wife get plenty of lihep assistance and thats the important thing.
you can't legislate common
you can't legislate common sense, and you can't protect a person from themselves.
i think it's less about
i think it's less about public safety, and more about the taxes not properly being assigned on a per cup basis then paid to the government.
glad i don't live in bangor
glad i don't live in bangor anymore
i think that the people that
i think that the people that live here should be the ones to decide what they get. people from other states that are here for a few months a year then go "home", should not be able to vote in state elections since they don't have to live with the consequeces. i think that same day registration is ok, but that the state voting laws should be changed to deter "from away" people from deciding state elections. in the past 30 years, look at the way our lives have changed and what party has been in power since the allowence of same day registration and "every part time non resident gets a voice". i think that the laws should empower those that live here full time since those are the people that live with the consequences.
there is a difference between
there is a difference between the make believe magic and the wiccan relegion. if you want to connect the two and speak out about your thoughts, then that is your right. just like it's everyone else's right to agree or not.
disenfranchised christians and questioning young people are looking outside of the traditional church for answers and are going to find them online and in the library, and have been for years. instead of focosing on the other options, maybe you should look at what the church can be doing to address issues within itself and guide people and the organization better.
if lewiston is such a dump,
if lewiston is such a dump, then why were the somalis sent there and not to some other better maine community? because lewiston has always taken one for the team when it comes to the poor and immigrant populations.
there are these funnly little
there are these funnly little things called "scholerships" that help pay for college, as well as "college loans" that are available to everyone
check the newspapers for the
check the newspapers for the past few weeks. they have all been recognized.
as a young person who has
as a young person who has also moved frequently, with a small special needs child, and also finding work, finding physicians, moving medical records, finding a place to rent, and hooking up with utility companies while my husband also works, i have always been able to find time to pick up that little green card, fill it out at my convience, and drop it off later along with my change of address card. i have been a registred voter for 12 years, and have never used same day registration because i didn't know you could do that. i just always did it as a way to find out about the community i was going to be living in, since the town clerks were usually very informative. its about civic duties, what people in some countries are willing to die fighting for, so i take pride in it.
then maybe they should also
then maybe they should also never have boughten the property since the rock was there first. maybe they should have invested their money in a different town so you could have your non-taxpaying rock.
just one more example of
just one more example of people working hard to find things to whine about instead of working on the real problems. road names, affection for big rocks, whoppie pies, and a trailer parked in a driveway for a few days for axel repairs rather then unemployment, pill addiction, welfare fraud, poverty, and health care costs.
dumb laws
gee and here i thought that only a democratic majority would come up with these kind of waste of time and red-tape creating, overly micromanaged, needless paperwork creating bills. guess it doesn't matter which letter is after a name.
it's too bad really. most of
it's too bad really. most of my co workers were true fans, even following them to away games on their weekends off and planned vacations around said games. from what i understand, the mainiacs really made it a family friendly environment, and the tickets were fairly low priced. my co workers said that it was cheaper to go watch a game with their kids then to take them to to movies, more fun too because they could be loud. the owners had tried everything, even giving away FREE TICKETS, in order to try to attract a returning audience. this really is a tremendous loss to the city, i wish the players well on their new teams, and hope that the boneheads out there can come up with something else for families to enjoy, since we have so few parades and outdoor festivals anymore.
is it possible that the drop
is it possible that the drop is in relation to more private gun ownership? if you didn't know weather or not the guy you were going to rob had a concealed weapon, would you risk it? maybe it's just gotten too dangerous to be a criminal today.
did it ever occur to you that
did it ever occur to you that mabey the driver didn't see you because of the weather? was this a typical narrow country road with blind hills and blind turns with soft shoulders? most recreators think that cars are going too fast if their going more the 5 miles per hour, and are too close unless they are in the other lane puting their own safety at risk.
as someone who jogs along a country road, i agree that there are drivers that go too fast for everyone's safety, and that we should all be more vigilant. as i jog,i move aside onto the soft shoulder if need be and share the road. as a driver, i also see people recreating on dangerous roads completely oblivious to their surroundings and who are actually surprised when they see a car coming. when i try to drive aside into oncoming traffic because the road is narrow, i put myself at risk as well as others just so that someone else who won't share can feel good about being in the middle of the street. safety is EVERYONE'S responsablity, including recreators.
before you rode, did you check the weather? plan your rout with everyone's safety at heart? why urge only drivers who are on the roads, not the ATV clubs and mountain bikers whose trails you share? if this guy had swerved and crashed into a tree in order to save your horse who unexpectedly jumped, would you have felt responsible at all? i doubt it. in your mind he hit your horse on purpose.
my husband was a pack a day
my husband was a pack a day smoker (2 packs a day on the weekends) for over 10 years. we always had money problems, but he would never adamit it was his smoking. he quit 5 months ago, and he found that we were saving over $300 a month. which has meant that the car could get repaired when it needed it and we could still afford groceries and rent at the same time. smokers don't always want to admit that the problem is their smoking, and they will sacrifice anything to feed their addiction. to a limit. that limit is different depending on the individual. eventually most will realize what they are taking away from their family and will quit. some won't. its up to the individual.
the problem of pain med abuse
the problem of pain med abuse in maine is so bad that it is a joke in some parts of this state. in a rural area that a friend of mine lives in, you'd be hard pressed to find any pot to smoke but you could buy any pain med in the entire pain med spectrum that you could ever wish for, from private sellers of course. but these cowards hide behind those who really need it then count on people from the maine civil liberties union to offer blanket protection over everyone who receives meds. there is a problem in maine, there needs to be some basic level of control not a free for all for the rest of your life, and some kind of controlled step down program.
she'll never repay a dime.
she'll never repay a dime. she say that she "can't" find work so she can avoid that. dhhs puts the support services under the children's names (and, by extension, to her), so she'll have a place to live and food in her belly, all paid for by the workers in the great state of maine. she'll never have to feel one ounce of responsibility and will be kept. great system we have here.
yes. try and report some
yes. try and report some suspecious behavior, and your told to stop tattle-tailing, and that you just hate the poor/elderly/children/immigrants, and that there is no fraud.
union
workers have the right to not be part of a union. requiring them to pay union dues (or less then that) to a union that they don't want to be part of and requiring them to use union lawers isn't right. if someone wants to work and get less for it then the union employees to do the same job, then let them.
also: take a good look around. how many jobs were created under baldacci? if you can blame lapage for a lack of creation, you can blame every gov. for the past 30 years. he just "inherited the problems created by his predicessors", to quote an influential american icon.
union
workers have the right to not be part of a union. requiring them to pay union dues (or less then that) to a union that they don't want to be part of and requiring them to use union lawers isn't right. if someone wants to work and get less for it then the union employees to do the same job, then let them.
also: take a good look around. how many jobs were created under baldacci? if you can blame lapage for a lack of creation, you can blame every gov. for the past 30 years. he just "inherited the problems created by his predicessors", to quote an influential american icon.
unions do not fight for
unions do not fight for everyones rights. i have to pay more for my insurance without a wage increase in 2 years, and the pension program i have paid into has been "restructured". where are the unions? i have never been offered entrance into one, i just get to pay more so that someone in one will do their job. the workers in wyoming are being asked to pay a portion of their healthcare coverage, just like i do. they are being asked to pay into a retirement plan, just like i do. they are being asked to retire on a fixed income without a cost of living increase, just like my parents do. what is the problem? that they can no longer feel that they are better then the rest of us?
apples vs. blueberries
i still like apples, apple pie, and apple crisp. and i still vote for apple pie to be the state dessert.
i also think that a more interesting conversation/debate would be apple pie vs. blueberry pie. a debate comparing the benefits of each fruit to each other would be at least an amusing and colorful controversy in the middle of winter. school children could do projects studying both of these maine products,
correct me if i'm
correct me if i'm misunderstanding please. does sheryl briggs want to protect the environment by dumping snow into the rivers?
bus
my sister lived less then a mile from the sabattus border and one mile from the primary school, but on the greene side of the line. my nephews had to ride the bus for over an hour in the am and again in the pm to go to greene schools. my husband's situation was similar growing up in the mount kitahdin area, with 6 sending towns and less then 300 students k-12. as is in other rural states, fewer children must be bussed farther to go to school. thats part of the rural choice that people just don't think of.
not a fan
i'm not a big fan of whoopie pies. i prefer warm apple pie made with maine grown apples and homemade vanilla ice cream. also needhams (choc. covered cooconut for those who don't know).
they did catch it on tape.
they did catch it on tape. the robber kept his hood up when entering and leaving. they had the pictures (which was laughable) taped to the front door of the rite aide i went to recently. but your right, they should have had cameras behind the pharmacy counter monitoring interactions. even dunkin donuts has one behind the counter in order to prevent employee theft and robbery.
hey great idea! lets close
hey great idea! lets close all those evil drug stores. except it's those evil doctors with their evil perscription pads that give the pharmacies permission to hand out drugs. lets get rid of all those evil doctors, or should i say drug lords, and all the problems of the addicted world would be solved. except when m.hilton got sick or hurt, then m.hilton would be s.o.l.
what does your rant have to
what does your rant have to do with a drug addict robbing drug stores? if i had worked to build up a business and it got robbed, you can bet your boots i'd invest in a better security system.
you can't un-murder someone
you can't un-murder someone either.
btw: death by smoke inhalation. thank you for clearifing since that makes such a huge difference in the inhumanity of the crime. tying someone up, setting their house on fire and it's all their fault that they died from breathing. and your right. death is too good for this prick, but since he has absolutly no conscience to live with, he'll just get free room and board for life instead. hope your happy.
if you don't like it, don't
if you don't like it, don't buy it. teach your kids that what they see on tv is fake until they are old enough to handle the war news footage and disaster news coverage on the evening news and in newspapers. and keep in mind that before "evil video games warping young innocent minds", it was violent saterday morning cartoons and violent movies, before that was satanic music lyrics, before that it was evil comic books and radio shows. what about all those commercials for violent movies (particulary "saw")?
also. there are games that are for mature audiences, just like there are movies that you wouldn't bring a 2 y/o to. there is a rating system on games which is based on the same rating system used on movies. this system also uses ages as part of the system (E for everyone, 10+ for 10 and up, M for 18, etc). we already look at ages when selling "adult" mags, ciggerettes, liquer. some games should not be sold to young children, so support legislation to fine stores that sell them to underage buyers, which we already do with certain products. and yes there are ways around them, as bloggers here will point out. and yes parents will have to actually look at what they are buying for the children, the rating as well as content comments (cartoon violence, sexual themes, gun violence, sport violence, etc) is in a box on the left hand side on the front of the case of any game bought. and yes controlling the game retail will make them more desireable to children, just like ciggs and beer. and yes the parents may have to deal with "why can't i buy it with my money" and "its not fair". and yes there are adults who play violent games after their kids go to bed at night, just like parents who have poker night, drink, or (gasp!) have sex after the kids go to bed, and its not just the "degenerates" that will undoubtedly be pointed out by the blogger here. did i miss anything, bloggers?
you didn't mind printing a
you didn't mind printing a letter that called christians hypocrits and demeaned the people of that relegion.
baldacci won twice with
baldacci won twice with significantly less then the majority, i didn't see complaining letters or call to change the system back then. funny how when some people lose they accept it deal with it and try again next time, and others cry and whine and want to change the system rather then admit they lost.
snow? what snow? your doing a
snow? what snow? your doing a bang up job since i don't see a spot anywhere on the roads.
lewiston-auburn has suffered
lewiston-auburn has suffered from a poor reputation for decades. L/A people are lazy, uneducated, violent, racist, white trash, and filthy with crime ridden streets and poverty abound. nothing good ever comes out of this hole. thats what the people in the portland and bangor areas tell anyone who asks. i've lived in both of those areas and got reminded almost daily, especially in bangor where the good people i worked for tried to "re-educate" me. why would any business come here?
1. he should be greatful that
1. he should be greatful that he was "scanned" everytime he needed a pill. in nurse's haste, he might have ended up with someone else's pills, which could have created a whole host of other problems (we had it happen in my family, not fun). it also helps to monitor for side effects, prevent drug overdoses, and prevent drugs from countering each other. which is a matter of healthcare records.
2. paperwork keeps track of your health care over your lifetime. that way you don't have to try to remember every pill's name and counter reaction or allergy, the name of every doctor or nurse who has ever cared for you, every minor illness, ect., which can effect your healthcare later in life. which is a matter of healthcare records.
3. of course billing. you wouldn't have wanted to pay for a pill that you didn't get. which is all a matter of billing records.
4. all the informational paperwork is just how they cover themselves from lawsuits. you can't claim you weren't told if your signature is on the paper saying you were. what you do with that info is up to you.
language
i'd also like to add that i think that it's a load that they change "the language" AFTER any vote. lawmakers and all the other groups had plenty of time to look at it and change what they wanted BEFORE it came before the people. we voted on what we liked, don't mess with it. sounds quite shady to me. once the law passes, change the language for the interest of opposing groups, so that it is barely what we voted on. tie it up in red tape, hope the people will forget about it. a little back room and shady.
bangor
Bangor has always considered itself far above the rest of the state ("the queen city", "jewel on the hill"). baldacci sent the rest of the state down the tubes while he protected bangor's interest by using congressional rule (he said he'd veto any vote for a competing racino anywhere else in the state). for the first time in 8 years, bangor is on the same field as everyone else, and they just can't handle it.
your right, the same could be
your right, the same could be said. except the yes crowd didn't charge the already cash strapped state of maine anything except the ink to have it printed, unlike the loads of time and money that the no crowd is expecting us all to pay for. the yes crowd also had to have several thousand signatures to get it on the ballot, unlike 150 needed for the no crowd.
well see this is how it is:
well see this is how it is: if you don't vote the way someone wants, you are a misinformed imbacile and there is absolultely no possibility that you did any research since your just an illeterate moron who gets all their info from the radio or television or church. or you're just under informed due to your lack of exposure to the rest of the world and you cling to your guns and relegion and are just a racist bigot who hates the poor, children, and elderly. there is always the possibility that the votes weren't counted correctly just because someone else won and everybody REALLY voted the other way.
sore losers seem to be
sore losers seem to be popping everywhere, and don't seem to mind spending taxpayer money to fund their fight. maybe the rules should be changed that all recounts must be funded by the complaining group, not just when the difference is more then 2% of the vote. all the wasted time and money to do this because 150 people out of 559,000 wanted a recount. maybe we should vote on whether there should be a recount since everyone in the state is paying for it.
did you have an opinion, or
did you have an opinion, or where you just copying word for word from the above article?
maine won't
it "unfairly singles out" people who have "problems" and makes them "feel like criminals". forcing people to take responsibility for their own actions is not on the agenda. this system would be far too humiliating and would require far too much restraint. it impedes on freedoms while dehumanizes people.
what a way to start a monday
what a way to start a monday
maine drivers speed like
maine drivers speed like fools? i've seen plenty of "out of state plates" (aka: tourists) with dangerous habits. we even have names for them: massholes, connecticut cutters, new hampshire near miss, ect. new yorkers would just as soon run you down as look at you. i learned most of the profanities i know from impatient new jersey drivers. also, how many of those "irrisponsible fools" are transplants from other states, like mass. where there are no speed limits, right of way laws, or drivers license requirements? (there ARE laws, its just that the laws don't apply to anyone driving in mass.)
typical bangor
typical bangor
you may wish to add to that
you may wish to add to that list of "does the same thing": mcdonalds, burger king, wendys, pizza hut, dunken donuts, cumberland farms, hospital housekeeping and kitchen workers, and any small business and mom and pop shop that can't provide a benefits package. btw: lapage didn't come up with that idea, dhs did and encourages it. also, if mardens gave all it's empoyees a healthcare package, the price of all that crap would go up since cost is passed on to the customers.
naaa.. thats vitiris and
naaa.. thats vitiris and tron's mission in life
and before anyone says that
and before anyone says that the worker shouldn't have children that she can't pay for, tell it to the welfare dependent with 3 kids and pregnant again.
our wonderful system is set
our wonderful system is set up so that a kitchen worker making min. wage will "make too much" to qualify for childcare assistance while at work if she works more then 20 hours a week. those of us in food service have seen this for years. they make too much to qualify for child care assitance while at work, but don't make enough to pay for it themselves. but the little chronically unemployed girls get all the free childcare they could ever want while sitting at home with their feet up. most employers in maine do exactly what lapage did in order to help an employee so they can continue to work. and no its not frauding the system, its working within the systems own boundries in order to help working mainers, which is what dhs claims it's doing.
he didn't say to scrap
he didn't say to scrap mainecare. he said to take personal responsibility for ourselves, try to find ways to prevent fraud which does occur with so many clients and so few checks and balances. in reality, we will reach a point were there will be more people receiving then giving and the whole system will implode. where will that leave the needy then? you are right that hospitals bill very high because even if someone can't pay they must be given emergency care, that care costs real money in personell and supplies which must be reimbersed (nurses don't normally work for free), and that ends up getting passed on. so it comes down to people not paying their bills, both at the state and personal levels, which drives up cost. sounds like he was right, we do need to take responsiblity for our actions.
noise & rape
i'd like to add to the noise paragraph: snow mobiles, atv's, rebuilt old pick ups with glass packs and straight pipes (exhaust pipe extensions designed to enhance the noise) and no muffler. all of which are popular with country folk who complain about the noise of wind turbines.
also: if you want to see rape, watch "law & order", the evening news, or talk to a real cop (they see rape victoms everyday).
i like that one
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don't ask, don't tell, don't
don't ask, don't tell, don't care
do your job, do it to the best of your ability, who you do in your free time is not my concern
and this surprises who?
and this surprises who?
what?
did i miss something? what does the mobil health van at the farmington walmart have to do with dave smith motors? NAthanial writes "i guess a lot of people will be benefited" and thats it about the above article. lawntobemowed and fatandhappy couldn't even bother a word about it, only about dave smith motors. if this is a blog site hijacking, then it is pretty low and i won't buy my next car from them.
so, america didn't come to an
so, america didn't come to an end because of this rally? i didn't realize that that was the point of it. and as far as i can find, never did any speaker at the rally mention during any of their speeches who "stole" america during the rally, which seemed to be mostly about encouraging people to take responsibilty for their actions and pride in themselves and communities. there is, however, nothing worse then when a bunch of people with an opinion different then yours have the audacity to have a rally, then disperse quietly and peacefully after.
the man is on a roll!
the man is on a roll!
huh?
i'm confused. if you don't like being preached at, then why do you go to church? people have a right to practice their relegion just as much as you have a right to not like it.
the world must be coming to an end
i actually agree with tron for once.
or perhaps that more people
or perhaps that more people are getting out of the credit card trap? we'll see in a few years how many people still have these cards.
a serial killer would have
a serial killer would have left evidence. csi? they cought these scumbags how? good old fashoned detecting.
ya
obsessed with conspiracy theories much?
there are already laws about
there are already laws about when you are allowed to mow your lawn, in my area anyway. there are also new laws about motorcycle noise. snowmobiles and atvs are not subject to any laws that i know of, since enforcement is next to impossible. it comes down to when someone's right to make noise and play interferes with someone else's right to quiet in their own yard. there is a time and place for everything, but not every place and time is appropriate. it is far easier to find a new place to play, then for people to move to a new community. they may have to travel with toys in toe, but so don't fishermen and boaters.
was this a serious letter or
was this a serious letter or satire? the soccer/ hockey part was odd. team sports encourage teamwork and a sense of community, while providing a much needed outlet for children to run out some energy and socialize. sports are dangerous and accidents and injuries do occur in every physical sport from american football to track, but worse is childhood obesity and isolation. we can't protect them from everything for ever, they need to learn.
at least the officers were
at least the officers were trained well enough to only shot him in the hip. brain injuries are strange things where not even experts can always agree about medications, side effects, "triggers", theropies, etc. i hope they find something for that works for this guy.
:)
good for him
the letter was about a
the letter was about a relegious claim that smoking pot was a sin. its great that you can talk about pot without bringing relegion into it, but the letter was about bringing relegion into it.
this war was "unpopular",
this war was "unpopular", more like the vietnam war then WWII. the generation that threw buckets of blood and screamed "baby killer" at returning troops back then will certainly not be all that welcoming now, though their ire is now downplayed to a cold indifference. the u.s. media was quick to highlight shortcomings, but let victories get buried on page 3. our soldiers deserve better.
recreate
that is the law. its also great when it is a narrow country road with soft shoulders and blind corners and hills. giving a bike 3 feet of clearence, especially when that biker is in the center of the road, puts my life in danger since i can't see what is coming and i have to drive into on coming traffic. if you don't like to ride your bike in lewiston, then do something about it. get your friends together (the ones who passed the 3 foot law) and get some bike lanes drawn, ride somewhere else, or get the laws changed to prevent cars from being driven on roads in the summer.
are you kidding? you have had
are you kidding? you have had trouble getting the word out? there are been several articles in sj about wind turbines, most of which were about the negetive impact. projects have been held up or shut down while people complain and scream about how bad it all is. there are usually 3 or 4 letters to the editor a week about how bad it is. to tell the truth, all i've ever heard or read in the past few months are the negitive impact comments. just because people don't agree with you doesn't mean that your opionion is not saturated enough.
my daughter was born in
my daughter was born in bangor and saw several specialists in that area. we have since moved down here, and she has doctors in lewiston and portland. trying to get all the doctors all the info they need from each other took almost 3 years, many "lost" faxes, and 2 trips to bangor to portland and back we finally are all up to date. i now get copies of every visit for myself in case someone wants some info that i can send myself. i have always been concerned about long distance trips because of the nightmare an accident could cause. infonet is such a good idea to keep doctors in the loop, and easy for another hospital to get much needed info in the case of an emergency. i like it.
reality
if you don't like it, don't watch it. and allow others the freedom to enjoy it.
i pay all those same taxes,
i pay all those same taxes, without the benefit of a pension plan. i also don't receive a penny from the state in any form, not even decent roads.
an autistic child can and do
an autistic child can and do walk away and get lost from even the most sober and professional parents.
an autistic child can and do
an autistic child can and do walk away and get lost from even the most sober and professional parents.
you could be labeled by just
you could be labeled by just as many terms, all of which you'd find offensive. instead of trying to make yourself feel "bigger" with taunts and insulting labels, just have the respect for others that you want for yourself and use mature terms like republican, democrat, liberal, and conservative. people will take your point of view more seriously.
more like prostitution
more like prostitution
its the 'lower partys' fault
its the 'lower partys' fault even when the lower party had nothing to do with it, had their ideas shot down and were labeled by the media as racist, had the nerve to ask questions and for clearifications, and when tried to stop a bad bill were labeled as "obstructionists". ya tron, i can see how it's all the "lower party's" fault. it must be your fault also since you let it all happen.
when i lived in portland
when i lived in portland about 8 years ago, they were running public service announcements asking people not to urinate or deficate on the beaches because of the bacterial problems that caused. i decided that if it was such a problem that it had to be addressed on the radio several times a day, then i wouldn't go to the beach in the summer. just keep in mind: vacationers spend a lot of money in maine in order to act like animals and throw their trash everywhere, and we need their money.
the democrats have been in
the democrats have been in charge of maine's economy for the past 30 years, if you want to point finger at party lines. it's been their tax and spend policies that have driven us here. when the economy took a down turn, they spent more assuming that tourists would save us all. but when the dust cleared, it was just us mainers to carry on with all the spending plans. expand mainecare and dirego? why, we can't even pay what we have now. cover 55% of special education, to be implimented over a 3 year period? that was 6 years ago, and still nothing. bonds for road and bridge repairs? how many of those have we voted for with few results. what the voters want, the democrats in augusta don't.
shows the typical disconnect.
shows the typical disconnect. if the state pension system is so underfunded with taxpayer money, then how do you propose privet sector empolyers pay for their own employees' pension? most are barely hanging on as it is, barely paying all the taxes maine requires in order to pay for govt. employees' pensions. bringing public empoyees' "down to inhumane levels" is what will keep this already limited economy sustanable. it's a good thing you are retired, since you do not understand reality.
maine's elected officials
maine's elected officials will never look to "other states" for lessons, inspiration, ideas, or anything else, except vacation dollars. they believe we are an island unto ourselves, and are so prided in doing things "differently". remember when their great idea was to give everyone who applied for a drivers license one without proof of residency or legal status? we do admitedley have a few different problems, such as the fact that we only touch one other u.s. state as well as a larger older population. but there are lessons out there if we'd just listen. we must become more dependent on ourselves and less on vacation dollars from others, and less dependent on dwindling u.s. government bonds and handouts.
huh?
huh?
mabey a little competition
mabey a little competition for good renters is what is needed. having to compete to attract renters might just make landlords fix up old appt. and make safety renovations. or get out of the business if they won't.
mabey a little competition
mabey a little competition for good renters is what is needed. having to compete to attract renters might just make landlords fix up old appt. and make safety renovations. or get out of the business if they won't.
ick
teens biting each other isn't rally a new craze. some did it in order to feel loved, connected to another, demonstrate trust and vulerability. some to feel like they were a part of a group, a family that shares a secret. some to just feel, or get aroused. others to freak out adults. the search for self, social place, and general life experimentation. it's dangerous behavior because of the blood borne illnesses out there. probubly not happening more often, just people are more open about it and feel that there may be less of a taboo about it.
still icky though.
twilight
i was wondering when the good ole' rev. was going to pick up on this, since harry potter is still at large after all.
1. there are places in the bible that says that God prefers those whose faith have been tested and still choose Him, walked through the fire as it were. tempered like steel.
2. VAMPIRES DO NOT SPARKLE!!!!!!!! and who would want to stay a 17 year old for the rest of eternity? i mean really. i read the books (they were a gift), and it was 20 pages of their love, 2 pages of action, 20 pages of love, ect. Mostly high school/teen obsession drama angst crap, and that has been around since the creation of teenagers.
3. i prefer the dark world series. more action, more emphasis on friendships and loyalties, less teenage angst.
carts
people leave shopping carts anywhere and everywhere. it's not an attempt to stop handicapped people from parking. it's just that some people won't bring the carts to the drop off and just leave them or push them wherever. don't take it personally. it happens to us all.
this is just an off hand
this is just an off hand question. why does it say (not verified) next to some posts? is that because the poster is posting from a mobile device? i'm just curious
towns are cutting school
towns are cutting school budgets, out dated buses and buildings are in need of safety related repairs, and staff positions and activities are being cut. it would be great to keep schools open and buses rolling and meals made throughout summer for these children. but, how will you pay for that if you can't even pay for the current school year? how many people can you get to do all this for free plus donate free food, supplies, gas, ect. you can aim all the rhetoric you want, but it all comes down to the money.
typical white trash love
typical white trash love triangle
my radio is stock, you can't
my radio is stock, you can't hear it outside my car. i keep it down to a dull roar so that i can hear emergency vehicles approaching, just like the majority of drivers. most motorcycles have loud pipes. you can put on stock pipes (some models even come with muffler attachments) and keep your cycle tuned correctly, both of which are tampered with to provide loudness, and still enjoy a nice ride. though you won't get the attention when you ride by, nor the satisfaction of waking people up, or making people stop mid sentence while on the phone until you've passed.
i agree. loud chest pumping
i agree. loud chest pumping music is just as much as a safety concern as loud pipes are. how any of you hear an emergency vehicle's siren over all that noise is beyond me. loud pipes do not save lives since you can't hear those lovely pipes in any car with it's windows up until after motorcycle has passed. and to loud music people: nothing says class like loud foul language and thumpin' beats coming from a '98 neon or escort. also, just because motorcycle heads and thumpers like your noise, the people who you assault with it don't. unfortunatly, it's about what you want and you don't care about the baby you awoke from it's nap or the elderly woman who turned her hearing aid down. why should you? there is no law that says you have to think about others. it's all about you and your noise. and those of us who don't like it have absolutly no recourse but to block our ears and just deal with it because you like your noise and thats all that matters.
there is a few big problems
there is a few big problems with all that: people can't afford to buy a brand new car with brand new technology, and few have the credit available. when the car breaks down, where are the mechanics to fix it, or will it have to be sent to an expensive specialty shop? when you plug in your car overnight, how much does that raise your electric bill by? a $10,000 credit is nice, but not exactly a cash for clunkers since the price of the new electric car will probubly run more then my current residence is worth. the biggest problem is not the coal electric plants, but rather all the hidden and up front costs of the electric cars.
on a side note: if the epa was serious about switching off coal and oil, then they would be more supportive of hydroelectric plants, solar power panels, and wind power turbines. any epa supporter will point out quickly that hydroelectric plants kill fish, wind turbines wreak havoc on the landscape and interfere with birds and migrating bats, and that solar panel construction destroys environments and aren't reliable in certain climates. they won't offer any new ideas, just trash the old ones while screaming for the end of our reliance on fossil fuels.
you can buy cheap running
you can buy cheap running shoes at mardens and go for a walk or jog outside for free. watching tv all day runs up the electric bill. when i was jobless, i didn't watch tv for that reason and exercied for free with jumping jacks, push ups, or walking outside. i also went to the library to look for jobs online and read. try flipping burgers or running a cash register for a living if you think that being jobless is soul sucking.
at least you have closure. so
at least you have closure. so many pets go missing and are never found. just a hole left. i'm sorry for your loss.
what an awful way to find out
what an awful way to find out you've lost your job. i heard that that sort of thing happens in china (the country), but i didn't think that being informed of a lay off by a note on the door was how we did it here. so sad.
they forgot to post the rest
they forgot to post the rest of it
sad
i remember the posting a few weeks ago from a person who had a service animal and will be unable to utilize the trails because they can't be away from their animal in a secluded area. these dogs are trained for epileptics, the hearing impared, as well as those who are blind and would like to listen to the birds and wind in the trees instead of traffic for a while. that is the saddest part of all this. it's not just a few dog owners ruining it for the other dog owners, it actually takes away a quality of life that most of us take for granted.
that being said, the property is owned by the stanton bird club and they allow the public to use it. use is a privelidge not a right. their first responsiblity is to preserve the nature there. they do not charge a fee for use, so they are not bound by the rules of business. i agree that the faulty dog owners (not all dog owners) as well as those who drink and smoke in the preserve will continue to abuse it.
actually the vast majorty of
actually the vast majorty of americans are more afraid of being involved in a hold up, robbery, or mugging then they are of someone legally having a gun. they are more fearful of the crime and criminal, then of some guy reading a book on the bus with a gun in his holster.
teens have been playing in
teens have been playing in the road in traffic for years. i remember when i was first driving, a young "lady" walked out in front of my car in the middle of lisbon street where traffic had stopped for her, hit my hood with both hands then ran back to her friend on the sidewalk where they did high fives and cheerleader kicks. kids are dumb.
the first step in prevention
the first step in prevention is admitting that there is a problem. and from the batesy blogs and bates governing responses, it should have been evident that they are still unable to admit to it. there will be no real action until there is a student death on campus.
i agree that it's an everyone
i agree that it's an everyone problem. people believe that small children add 'something special' to an event and should be encluded, they don't realize that not every event is appropriate. people think that the world will stop turning if they turn off their phones. graduation is an oppertunity for teens to shine and they should be treated with special attention, sometimes it is the only time that their family will take notice.
i'd also like to say that homeless teens with no one graduate too. if you have a graduation robe and sash and hat that is no longer in use, the homeless teen center can use them for those who can't afford to buy them. lets make graduations special for all teens.
i agree
i agree. a few days ago, a poster made extreemly racist remarks about the somolies and needlessly degrading and inaccurate comment about women in lewiston. this was over the story about unwed mothers. i found no way to place a complaint to sj nor "flag as offensive" as we were able on the older site. there also seems to be a continual "argument" between several users where they just publicaly bash each other. i know that recently, this site tried to use a generic program to block language which ended up backfiring. users could still bash each other with offensive language (changing a letter: "tron" becomes "troll", or spelling phonically: "phuck"), but the program blocked sentences copied directly from the article. i've been personally attacked over my relegion, place of employment, job title, percieved education level, etc., all of which was available on the info page when you clicked on me. being told to "shut up, no one wants to hear from an uneducated kitchen worker" and called "a christian hypocrite" is a little much. the crossword is great, but maybe you should be more concerned about your blog site.
he got away once, he'll get
he got away once, he'll get away again.
enforcement of existing laws
enforcement of existing laws is the answer. but anyone who does, is called a racist bigot and the entire system is tied up in red tape. arizona's new law is just an enforcement of federal law. i actually read it and the enforcement section states that the person whose immigration status is being questioned must already have been arrested for something else. when you are stopped for a traffic violation, you already have to provide identity documentation in the form of a license, registration, and insurance. the spector of racial profiling, harassment, and abuse is there, but those are possible under almost all of our laws in some way of some group or other.
companies should be prevented from hiring illegal immigrants, and the key is also identification which can be considered profiling, and many employers are leery of getting tied up in court by someone screaming racisim.
you are right that the
you are right that the legislature can raise taxes no matter what because they have to have a balanced budget. BUT how much more can the people of maine afford to give? people will begin to say "forget this" and either move or shoot down tax increases, like recently. then the legislature will either have to make some "tough decisions" (like the rest of the working maine citizens), or they will be replaced. sorry, but you can only squeeze so much blood from a worker.
especially the one about the
especially the one about the welfare fraud. the first place that dhs cuts funding for is fraud investigators. i know that for a fact because of a friend who investigated during the '80s. at one time he had 8 ppl. under him to investigate. by the mid '90s, they had cut his staff to 2 and qudripled his caseload. they don't investigate anything anymore. all they do is call the employer to see if the person put in an application. thats all. only 3 applications needed per week. all a little mother needs to do is claim that the father isn't around to get support. and if he is living with her and paying for stuff, so what? no one will investigate. don't want to pay child support? work under the table. construction is good for that. no one will investigate. next time your in bangor, take a look at how many snowmobiles in winter and 4 wheelers in summer are parked behind the dhs building.
the sad part is that honest working people that need it "don't quilify". a single mother working making minimum wage in a kitchen must choose: loose child care assistance because she makes too much, or work fewer hours, or get a second job. how many of our "poorest" unemployed single little mothers must make that choice? none.
everything you said here is
everything you said here is extreemly offensive. for your info, there are more teenaged girls OUTSIDE lewiston then inside and they are having sex at younger ages. to claim that about their mothers is incredably distasteful, since, once again there are mothers OUTSIDE lewiston as well. believe it or not there really are plenty of responsible mothers in lewiston that did not have children at age 12 like you claim, and many more girls waiting to have sex until later. and as for your racist remarks about somalies, you have a real problem and should not be allowed to blog here. stay in Bangor where you belong, where it may surprise you that there are teen mothers galore in Cape Heart (a massive apartment project).
lightening a match doesn't
lightening a match doesn't automatically burn down a house, neither does just having a drinking party. the point is that both are risky behaviors that can get out of control quickly. the match lighter may not see that the lit match went into a pile of flamables because he knows what he's doing , and a party goer may not notice people getting hurt because he knows what he's doing. someone tries to stop match guy from burning down the house because they can see the danger. police try to break up a large party because they can see the danger. it all comes down to having the experience to see the danger in a situation, and knowing when to stop. the drunk kids didn't know that they were in danger, and fought those who did, making it all the worse.
hey newsflash! college
hey newsflash! college campuses are almost always holding some sort of rally for something or other. no one notices anymore.
i know that you didn't state
i know that you didn't state that. i was just paraphrasing that is going though bates' leaders minds. i am aware that this hasn't happened.....yet. but when they do, then what? everyone will sit around and talk about the warning signs and what should have been done. this is a warning sign. also, there are numerous studies about the problem of alcohol abuse and deaths on college campuses nationwide. is there a 12 step program at bates to help troubled students? should security be beefed up toward semesters ends? weekends? if there are partying "traditions" wouldn't it make sense to beef up during those known times? expanding security force, patrols, and presence? when did it become an acceptable part of college life to go to the er and have your stomach pumped? not all incidents end up on tv, and most end quietly. when does a handfull become a problem?
i was only lighting matches,
i was only lighting matches, its not like the house burnt down. this time. its called adults who can see unsafe behavior and stop it before anyone dies.
ya your right. lets wait
ya your right. lets wait until someone dies from alcohol poisoning, gets raped, or tries to fly off a roof before we even think of interfering with their party scene. that is why they are there is to party of course. lets watch it get worse first. future leaders motto.
russell street variety by any
russell street variety by any chance? one who benifits completely from their party scene?
paul chiampra of bryantville
paul chiampra of bryantville mass. looks really happy actually. laughing like this is all a joke. the girl is the only one who looks frightened, most of the others look like they are trying hard not to laugh.
for most people in the world,
for most people in the world, being named in connection with criminal activity is an embarasment. but these are bates students, they are too smart to feel remorse or embarasment.
finally a bates grad who get
finally a bates grad who get it. blaming the cops for having the audacity to show up when called doesn't help. nor does marching out how fortunate we should all feel for your presence doesn't either. those students involved were in the wrong. just admit it so we all can move on.
you seem to operate on the
you seem to operate on the assumption that the police are out to get you. if there wasn't a reasonable assumption that there were unlawful activities going on, plaincloths cops would not have been called in to investigate. yes called in. also, a fine is a fine. you can't fine someone more if they are rich as opposed to someone poorer for the same crime. if you are breaking the law then you will, regardless of who you, are be punished. and no, people will not turn their heads just because bates is a large employer and the students do some work. thats hypocracy and an elitist attitude.
i have never had a problem with the police because i don't put myself into those kinds of situations.
1. state school frat night
1. state school frat night parties don't usually involve police because students don't fight security.
2. wouldn't it be the fault of the student the officer was chasing? all he/she had to do was answer questions or follow directions. instead, he/she fled. also the his leg wouldn't have gotten broken if you had all been respectful and the cops hadn't been called in.
3. if a person isn't kicking and fighting the cops, they have no need to restrain or subdue him.
EVERYONE including bates college students have to follow the laws and respect the police. just remember kids, the next time someone steals your car or breaks into your apartment or beats you up, you will call the police and you will expect their full attention.
when the cops are involved,
when the cops are involved, you don't go stand there and watch, especially after being told to leave. could they not get into their dorm? no friends on that side of the building? this was reality, not an entertainment venue. when the police are doing their job, you get out of the way unless you want to get involved. when your friends are making jerks of themselves, you disassociate yourself from the situation otherwise you get dragged down too.
so because they are a large
so because they are a large employer, students are exempt from the laws and don't have to be respectful of police officers? makes perfect sense. what you do affects not only you and your reputation, but those associated with you. thats the world kids. get used to it.
and if i am on my property
and if i am on my property being diruptive and dangerous my neighbors will call the police too. "campus" is not a no mans land where laws do not apply and the police can't go when called. the news is saying that the police were outmanned 10-1. in that kind of a mob situation, things can get worse quicker, especially when trying to sort drunks from bystanders from violent offenders, none of whom are cooperating with police. so they had no choice but to call for backup. if it broke up quitely, just like if the police broke up a party on my own property, there would have been no problem. these kids need to be taken down a notch.
and this has what to do with
and this has what to do with an out of control bates college party?
good ole tron, trying to put
good ole tron, trying to put up a smokescreen and divulge attention from the issue at hand and creating one that for himself for attention sake! this has nothing to do with students voting rights.
the issue of students voting
the issue of students voting has nothing to do with a wild party gone out of hand.
actually thats exactly what i
actually thats exactly what i would do because i respect authority. as for talk down to you, get over it your not the star of a movie. the badge they carry and the uniform they wear does require respect, which doesn't seem to have been taught to you. just like your rich daddy is given respect when he walks into a room, even he must cooperate with those in uniform when told.
they do represent the
they do represent the minority. however, if as a society, we allow a few people to get away with a few misdeeds, then it has a snowball effect. we all know that not every bates student was there, but the ones that were should be punished. but must of us doubt that they will because of their station in life and/or their parents station. we have all seen it before numerous times both locally and in the media.
how much money do batses
how much money do batses spend at wall mart or local stores is not comparable to the amounts spent by the rest of us year round. according to the batses all police are bad for stopping them from hurting themselves or those around them. i see more then just batses volunteering. educate yourself on what this community has to offer itself. you are all so wrapped up in yourselves and what you bring that you don't see what we have or can teach you. also, the majority of working people in this are do not work at bates college. lewiston, maine, and the world in general do not revolve around bates college.
you may not all be "rich",
you may not all be "rich", but you are certainly whinny and elitist.
actually things are being
actually things are being done by hard working townies to attract and create businesses. you are aware that when college lets out for summer, we don't close down the town, right? we somehow muddle through it all without you? also, you're so wonderful that the people who built this town and community and pay taxes and work here and live here are abhorrent to you? and lisbon is such a waste compared to the wonders that are you, right? what an elitist piece of parrot dropping.
you get respect by earning
you get respect by earning respect. just as any disorderly drunken jerk would be chastised by the group, you are now feeling it. the posts from batsies write about how unfair they were all treated, read them yourself. ask why they feel this way. is it because they really don't believe that their own personal actions have personal consequences? there are batsies actually comparing their drunken party to the civil rights movement. how insulting is that? they are blogging about suing the LPD and making us "look bad" as if that matters. if i was drunk and disobeyed an officer and got arrested, i would protest but know i am wrong and did wrong. as an adult i would be ultamitly forced to take responsibility for my actions. leave the double speak to "1984".
there is a fine line between
there is a fine line between "a celebration" and "disorderly conduct" when alcohol is involved. even the most enlightened students of life can easily cross this line. people were already getting hurt at this "celebration". what would have happened if there was a death? you would have all been crying about how everyone else should have stopped it from happening, and condemned LPD and everyone else. grow up. we all pay the price to dance with the piper.
actually it is 2-0 because it
actually it is 2-0 because it has been verified by the league at the time of the last game. not everything has to do with the justice system, only the governing body which that item falls under. you may wish to learn about what does and does not fall under the blanket of the us justice system before you utilize it.
1: you yourself wrote that
1: you yourself wrote that the BEMS were on the scene within 30 minutes, which means that they had to get through your drunk butts to get to the fallen student otherwise they would have gotten there sooner. even united ambulance has a better call time. read what i wrote please since it mentioned nothing about the police.
2. the police have a duty to respond to every call weather you like it or not. are you sure they weren't DISGUSTED with the student behavior?
3. right about alcohol impeding judgement and therefore unreliable. wrong about the police procedure, but frivolity will do that to ya.
4. actually the us system of justice has better things to do the worry about a few drunken addlepated brats being insulted. you were treated like any other person in that situation, which is why you are insulted.
also, he isn't some kind of
also, he isn't some kind of monster to be let loose at our convienence, he is missed everyday, and would never have had anything to do with this now. this incident is just adding stress to his family.
i shouldn't have replied at 10:16, i can't figure out how to remove it, and i'm sorry i wrote it since it has nothing to do with what is going on.
1. your friends were blocking
1. your friends were blocking the medical crew from helping the student. otherwise, i'm sure that BEMS would have arrived much sooner the 30 minutes later.
2. bates security were the ones who called LPD.
3. the police don't manhandle, beat, or pepperspray people who are not physically fighting the officers and are in fact peacefully dispersing. and those who do are usually arrested.
4. no one really cares how insulted you all are. go home and pout.
he's in arizona. i work with
he's in arizona. i work with his mom. also, his dad is a current bates employee.
when i was 20-23 years old i
when i was 20-23 years old i had enough sense to listen to police, follow instructions, and not run into it for fun. i partied and played and trash talked just like everyone else. the majority of the people i knew had personal responsibility and didn't want do deal with the negative consequences. those that did we made fun of and disassociated with because they would have dragged us all down. it was behavior of teenagers, not adults and we undereducated working slobs knew better.
poor little rich kid has a
poor little rich kid has a dose of reality! guess what princess, in the real world when real people behave in this manner this is what happens. why don't you and your little elite friends take just take your toys and go home to pout. believe it or not, the world doesn't revolve around you and your egos.
it may be a minority of
it may be a minority of students, but they caused huge problems. its not just the ignorance of their actions that are angering people. its the fact that they ARE supposed to be better then us: better educated, more caring, smarter, future leaders. what does it say to the people of a very poor community that these elite are fighting with police and ambulance paramedics? that they are having a protest event because the police didn't kiss their backsides when they were breaking laws and interfering with ambulance services? its their lack of respect, self control, and personal responsibilty that people are angry about. btw:i went to a technical college and we blue collar workers never had to have police called in. what does that tell you?
a protest? thats sick!
a protest? thats sick!
rich daddies will pay to make
rich daddies will pay to make this all "go away". these snob brats will feel no pain nor shame for their actions.
you are correct that people
you are correct that people drive like idiots everyday. roads are not racetracks nor playgrounds and should not be treated as such. and we should all realize that there are more and more drivers out there: more elderly drivers, new drivers, truck drivers, motorcycle riders, buses, taxies, immigrant drivers, distracted drivers, and vacationers. there are just more people on the road then ever before and we must all be more courtious and aware of our surroundings. that is why we have new laws about street racing, cell phones, and seat belts. trying to legislate common sense. and when i'm going to be late for work, i call before i leave home and let them know so i don't feel the need to speed.
just ignore tron. he's
just ignore tron. he's looking for a fight and will claim anything in order to get attention. just ignore him, most of us do.
i think that she means that
i think that she means that we as the american culture are raising children that are like that. out of disconcern and lazilness, we are raising generations of theives and animals. most people outside the usa also see that.
people really don't
people really don't understand their animals. when i lived in eddington (by Bangor), almost everyone on our street had a dog, none had them on leashes. i can't tell you how often i had dogs come at me and chase me up the street, or how many times there was a growling dog in my driveway blocking my car. once, a pit bull was growling with his muzzel a few inches from my 4 month old. he wouldn't let me back up, and i couldn't yell for help. the "owners" child was yelling at the dog and yelling for her mom, who after about 10 minutes finally grudginly bothered coming to get the dog. promising that it would never have hurt us. more and more people have stories like this.
people always think that their animal is under "voice command" and would never hurt someone unless provoked. never the case. people are idiots, dogs can't help themselves.
i'm sorry that you can't
i'm sorry that you can't enjoy things like others. this is a case of one bad apple spoiling it for everyone. i think that service dogs should be allowed everywhere a person can go, because service dogs not only have specialized training to never leave the owners side but also are always on leashes. but people with regular dogs don't understand the special circumstances, and will assume their own admittance. again i'm sorry your limited by the ignorance of others.
how about beefing up
how about beefing up enforcement of no street racing! that might actually be useful and protect lives!
can you say police block on
can you say police block on center street? pieces of uneducated trash like these young "street racers" should have their heads examined and their licenses removed forever. these young "street racers" wonder why the police are always "harassing" them and making them follow those silly laws that don't really apply to them. there is no excuse for this behavior. mabey next time a "street racer" might run over a child who is crossing their racetrack and should have already known better. this was during the day around noon time in noon time traffic! what jerks.
i'd like to live there too.
i'd like to live there too. but unfortunatly, we disregarded safety in the name of tolerance and political correctness. it's not his fault he stole/murdered/mugged/raped! society is to blame! all he needs is counseling and understanding! and then he does it again and again. or even better! lets forgive pediphiles and let them live next door to children! all they really need is counsling and acceptance because it really isn't their fault! then they do it again and again. lets deal with criminals (especially priests and teachers who are supposed to be trustworthy) and make our towns safe.
so i take it that there is
so i take it that there is such an overabundance of home-buyers that this is a good idea. we don't have to worry about schools or taxing working people out of their homes and possibly out of this state? if a tax is raised, and some people don't have to pay it, then others have to pay more now to cover the costs now, no matter what the adjusted rate is later. why would any home buyer agree to this? how about if the tax is set for the elderly people, then when the property changes hands the taxes are adjusted without penalty.
how about using the $120,000
how about using the $120,000 to hire people who will take their jobs seriously instead? there are plenty of unemployed out there who would gladly not misuse company property on company time. or if there is so little actual work that they had time to do such things, then why not save money by having them work only half a day?
industry perspective
buying a pellet stove is not like buying groceries. you don't buy a new one every year. people who wanted one and wanted to take advantage of tax incentives at the time did. many in maine live in rented homes and don't have the ability to add a pellet stove in, regardless of rhetoric about savings (which don't affect landlords who don't include heating cost in the rental agreement). also, last winter was mild. people stocked up on pellets that they didn't use. if someone bought 500 lbs of pellets for example, and only used 200 lbs, then they aren't going to buy 500 lbs more right away. therefore, the pellet stove industry is reliant on the weather, which in maine is unreliable at best. i think that the article is too early. put a few more winters in then mabey i'll believe it's a crumbling industry.
dumb
when i was in lewiston high school, we had to pass basic math and algebra profeciency tests in order to graduate. if you didn't pass those tests, regardless of anything else, you didn't graduate. there were those who had done the work, passed all classes, had the necessary credits, but were not allowed to graduate. the school did offer an after school tutorial class that tought straight from the test. those who still failed had to go to summer school in order to pass that test. colleges did not look at those test scores, students who passed still had to take college level math courses, and it didn't count for much and was eventually dropped from the curriculum.
this will be the same situation. nothing gained, nothing learned, many discouraged.
missed oppertunity
i thought that the topless march was a missed oppertunity for breast cancer awareness. what better way to emphasize what is lost, celebrate life, and support survivors then with a parade.
if they don't want to bus,
if they don't want to bus, then the taxpaying parents who fund the buses and public schools and also pay out of pocket to send their kids to trinity should be allowed vouchers since they are paying for services that they are not allowed to utilize.
its bangor. enough said.
its bangor. enough said.
a lot of people are losing
a lot of people are losing 100% of their saleries without their approval. these people were also relying on steady income, forget about raises. just be glad that you are a part of a union which has and always will protect you. most of us out there paying for it don't.
help
the amount that most are spending on rent is more then the average morgage payment, and often does not include heat or electricity (more money out). unfortunatly when people ask for help, rent and utilities are excluded from the application process. so what if $9 out of $10 is spent on rent and utilities, you still had $10, so no help buying food. how about when people ask for help, taking living expenses into consideration? and no, not everyone who hurts is young and single and childless and healthy and can get a second or third job in order to pay. we already subsidize for the unemployed, and give tax credits to homeowners. why not think about those caught in the middle for a change?
dear taby
just because she knows where to shop, and will give you a ride in a snowstorm, and will give you a cigg. when your out does make her a good person. leaving her kid with a pitbull in an unlocked car on a busy city street while shopping for over 30 min. in a headshop makes her a bad parent for now. as for her life and what she's been through: we all go through things, and most of us leave that behind and shelter it from our children. its called growing up. those who had bad parents know what it was like, and have the option of leaving it behind and being a different parent. also watch your language, this isn't a dance club and no one is intimidated by your foul mouth. try to keep it civil.
it has been pointed out in
it has been pointed out in other responses that they are just irresponsible kids with poor upbringing and bad parenting skills. not "young adults" in any way besides that terms definition. it takes more to make an adult then age, and it takes a real woman to be a mother.
again excuses
this was a planned excursion. they didn't have to stop and brows a headshop for over 30 min, and they didn't both have to go in at the same time. this wasn't an oops, this was recreation. i'm glad she feels remorseful, i just hope that she realizes that if she gets her kid back, it will be a second chance and how lucky she is that this didn't end in the ER or the morgue.
really
so we are clear on that because your response was about parenting a toddler, and the act was about an infant human, the weakest and most vulnerable and most defensless of our community. as for redemption, rehab and parenting classes would probubly not be enough, but mabey after the kid is old enough to care for herself, they can have her back. if they can't handle an infant that just sits there, what WILL happen with a toddler?
more excuses
it wasn't 10 min. it was over 30 min from the time the cop stopped, how long before that unknown. keeping eye contact? they were both inside a building with covered windows browsing. it only takes a moment for a baby to startle a dog and have it attack, or a car to crash. i'm a first time mom too, and i have made mistakes, but never intentially for the sake of convience in order to shop. get a sitter or stay home or take baby/child with you, thats your life as a responsible mother. this isn't entirely (though mostly) a learn on the job thing, and some forethought is required.
excuses
my sister was a first time mom at 18 too, and we didn't exactly have a plush upbringing with little parenting also, but she was smart enough to never leave her children (twins with no father present) unattended. will her next mistake kill? will that be your parent's fault too? when does personal responsiblity kick in? it takes more then feeding and changing diapers and dressing her cute to make a real "MOTHER". justice for you as children? you are adults now, ACT LIKE IT!
thinking
there is no such thing as a practice human life. will their next mistake end up killing the child? oops! i just made a mistake and left my pills on the table and she's so fast and ate them, what ever shall i do? unfortunatly, that happens far too often as it is. some mistakes are fatal. this wasn't an oops. this was a planned thing. it would have been far smarter if they took turns sitting in the car while one went in, then the other sat in while the other went in. that way the kid and dog weren't alone and no one would have had to get involved. that would have shown the abiltiy to act at least somewhat responsibly. or even why not plan a day for shopping and have the kid babysat? thats what the majority of us do.
dumb people
indignant or embarassed? quietly ashamed or scared and confused? what fantasy are you living in? they didn't see what they did as wrong and dangerous, their kid is just an inconvienance to their recreation. even when told they argued and were defensive. confused about what was going to happen? if they are able to make a baby then they can understand that actions have consequences. but, someone will argue that their "addictions" are stronger then their parental instincts and we should all feel sorry for them and bla bla bla.......until that child ends up dead "by accident" then it will be everyone else's fault and they won't have to feel the least bit of responsibility for their own actions. they'll just get high and stupid and make another baby.
geodesic dome. is that a
geodesic dome. is that a fancy word for a very large learning green house?
here is one more angle to all
here is one more angle to all this: health. woman have more sensitive skin then men. we also have a higher rate of skin cancer, whether due to tanning booths or not. areola and nipple skin lack the pigmentation defenses to protect from sun damage. those of us northerners who tend to be extreemly pale burn easily and have higher chances of developing skin cancer. if people want to prance around topless, go for it. just don't be surprised that pale skinned northerners aren't really into it.
on a side note: i'm so pale that i wouldn't go topless because the glare would blind passing traffic, or so white that i'm transparent and you could see my heartbeat, or i'd just burst into flames.
preference
i also think that this is about getting attention. we all already knew women could go topless in maine thanks to that woman simply mowing her lawn topless a few years ago. i think that these marchers think that since we don't all just strip off our tops and run down the street, that we don't know about the law. we do. i prefer not getting a sunburn on the sensetive skin on my chest, which my bra would really irratate. or going into an air conditioned store topless. chilly. its about preference ladies. get over it.
compared
is that compared or contrasted to islam? i still remember 2 towers falling when islamic terrierists flew planes into them to engage a war with america. as well as the human rights violations, oppression, and murder of those who are different which is mandated by islam and in the koran. yes christians have been misguided by greedy leaders into evil deeds, but so isn't the current state of islam. but that is of course exceptable since it isn't christianity.
n/s
"reference to unsupported prejudice is not allowed, nor such phrases as.....i have the right to be offended". Andrea is offended that woman have the legal right to go bare chested, but choose not to.
as for breast obsession....it's hard not to be obsessed when a topless woman is walking down the street, in the newspapers, on tv and the radio.
also, there is still a war going on, joblessness, people losing their homes, and now a volcano spewing ash into the atmosphere which will do who knows what to crops. and she's worried that not enough women are excercising this right that we already have.
advertisement?
just out of curiosity: what does this particular blog have to do with the chili chowder comp.? it looks like an ad. and takes up a lot of space that would have better been used for conversation.
law
the law says that it is ok now, but if these people keep up the public spectacles then these rights may be gone soon. respect the right, don't abuse it for the purpose of publicity.
i have the right to not bathe or shave. shall i begin a parade showing that off?
i remember that
yes i remember that also. i think that one of the big problems with the madison mower was that traffic was slowing and people were going there on purpose to stare.
back then people were saying what they are saying now : that the law says it is ok as long as it doesn't cause a traffic problem.
death
i don't think that she can use that excuse because i'm pretty sure that she's the one that died in the crash
perhaps instead of limiting
perhaps instead of limiting then number of people through the door at a time, they should change venues. it is getting popular and the current location might be gettting a little tight.
nice attack
nice personal attack, veritas. really adds perspective to the conversation.
silence
tron? viritas? silence from the peanut gallery?
page
maybe the sj should have a religious/cultural section where whatever religion/culture's observed day can be written about. educate the public. maybe everyday really can be a holiday! and if you don't want to read, learn about, or be subjected to it, all you have to do is just not read it.
shhhhhh
don't tell bangor. they think they are the center of the universe.
reality
also, "the world" and population numbers have changed dramatically since the mayas. since they lived in so. america, their "world" consisted of just the lands they occupied, not over oceans. remember the y2k doomsday that didn't happen? its based on the gregorian calander, and most other cultures had either passed y2k or weren't even in the ballpark yet. the mayans concerend themselves with their lands, rightly so. so i'd be more concerned if i was in so. america
school
i'd like to put mine in catholic school because of the discipline and education standards. can't afford it though. maybe if the wealthy church offered scholorships or assistance, not only would their schools fill but their churches as well.
how business owners cope in
how business owners cope in this economy is news. unfortunatly, families can't afford to eat out enough to support restaurants, so owners have to be creative. adults need adult entertainment after the kids are in bed too, and they'll spend after working all day/week. thats society.
if you don't like the sj, then don't read it. the portland press herold, bangor daily news, and kennebec valley journal are all available in this area and online.
herbs/oils/pills/marriage
and how many herbs and oils are said to prevent certain birth defects? the language is the same, the MAY prevent this or that. the reason? you can't look at a child and say that they would have had down syndrome if not for this herb/oil combo, and you can't look at a person and say that they live longer due only to birth control pills.
i'd also like to know how birth control pills destroy marriages. if only a pill, and not infidality or personality, can do that, then the marriage was in distress to begin with. how many marriages ended because the baby wasn't his, or his mistress became pregnant?
i agree
ya. there didn't seem to be a cohesive concept throughout the letter.
mufflers
i think that aftermarket mufflers don't meet inspection requirements and are usually swapped in order to get a sticker. and if it is a noise problem they can be pulled over and ticketed, and if the sticker is new the garage gets investigated to see if they passed an illegal exhaust, which results in fines all the way around.
arrr
arrr
i agree
The guy is from Houlton. I lived up there for awhile, so I can tell you that he probubly really doesn't know that NH is between ME and MA. Most people up there have no concept of anything below Bangor. They have heard of Augusta, but don't really know where it is. As far as most know, the state line is just below Bangor and they go right into MA.Or maybe they just have really old maps up there.
to unpopulate
Since economic development would be prevented, how would the people that live up there live? Farms that closed years ago would not be able to re-plow, lumber couldn't be harvested, new jobs and homes could not go up as children grow up and move out. Tourism is a shaky business to rely on, and what businesses and farms currently operate are already unable to produce jobs to support any populace. The "state" would be unpopulated within a few generations.
Not about open carry
The Bangor incident isn't so much about open carry. It's about letting an idiot have a gun at all. A responsible gun owner would not "be showing it off" to another passanger, have the safety on, and possibly not have it currently loaded. People should have an open carry permit, similar to the concealed weapons permit, with the same requirements.
I have worked in the service
I have worked in the service industry for about 10 years, some places had sick leave others didn't. There are people who have been caught at the movies, beach, and shopping on a day that they called out. They are still being paid as well as the person who has to cover that shift in order for business to continue as usual. This does effect operating budgets, since 2 people must be paid for the same job as well has having to have the extra staffing trained and kept on. The budget, which sounds greedy and inhumane to some, is how supplies are purchased, employees are paid, and bills and taxes paid. While MOST people are HONEST and only call out in the event of a real illness emergency, SOME people are chronic call outs which makes it harder on those who have real emergencies. The call out abuses are usually more frequent for businesses that offer paid sick leave. Frequent hirings, firings, and call outs causes stress on the other employees as well as effects business quality since there is always someone being trained or working a double shift or are understaffed, so firing chronic call outs isn't always workable. Also, businesses who frequently "flip" employees look undependable to customers and lenders, and get a "reputation" among the workforce.
There alway is a risk to
There alway is a risk to blanket diagnoses. Every person is different, we are not automatrons. We all have slightly different biological factors and experiences. Even in a given populous, say paranoid scizo. people, there are different levels/types and triggers even though much is the same throughout. The challange in psychiatry is determining what is "normal", and what is "abnormal" in a given group and what needs to be addressed. The larger the net, the larger the holes, though. Is that shy awkward kid a late bloomer or autistic? Is that person concerned with their health or obsessive compulsive?
A bigger philisophical question would be: If everyone is mentally ill, what is normal?
There is mental illness in even the most normal person if we look hard enough.
And before the personal attacks start (Tron), my uncle was paranoid scizo., so I do have some idea of blanket diagnoses and treatments and stigmas and the affects of those things.
CSI
A person who was beaten, stabbed, or shot and left alone could die long after the attack due to coma, shock, fear, or just the inability to get help. It doesn't mean that the attacker isn't responsible.
questions
Where did you get the information that undocumented workers are paying into social security? If they are undocumented, then there is no documentation as to how much or if they pay in since they are paid "under the table".
Where did you get the info. about how much more in taxes immigrants pay in as compared to receiving? Do these numbers reflect medicare, ESL, education, food stamps, and housing which many need and recieve?
They're not just doing the jobs that American youth won't do. Immigrants are just doing them at an unfairly low pay rate, which is a crime against them.
If you are afraid that your loved one who is undocumented will be deported, then why not sponsor them and, by using current laws and procedures, help them become citizens? Why be sneaky if you have nothing to hide?
If it is so "broken", then how is it that so many people are able to immigrate legally every year? What are your numbers on that? What does it say to those who stood in line and jumped through the hoops and did what they were asked when you call it a broken system just because those who don't want to do all that say it is?
Just once I'd like to hear from someone who can answer these questions and say exactly what part of the system is "broken". Is it just that there is a system that people have to follow which seems contrary to how they think America should work? Instead of rhetoric, just answer which laws specifically are standing in the way. I'd really be open to that info, and might change my way of thinking, if someone could specifically point out the problem areas inside the laws instead of just rhetoric.
sure
As if parents would want to know if their child's teacher is an alcholic or drug abuser. And who would care if a teacher has struck a spouse or child? Or has been convicted of theft? None of that matters. All that matters is that teacher's position according to the teachers' union. It seems so typical lately how many people are more interested in self and power and control, and less interested in doing what they are there to do.
clearity
I'm a little fuzzy on this issue. If someone could help me or post a site.
If someone has a concealed weapons permit, will they (or are they currently unable to?) bring their handgun into a state park? Is this a blanket ban or just a hunting-type ban?
MEA = missed funding
Of course the MEA is against it. anything that would tamper with the teachers' union is always a bad thing.
Wasn't "student performance linked to teacher and principal evaluations" part of No Child Left Behind?
The "autonomous innovation school" was a charter school idea that was beaten down by the teachers' union. Lacking such an option is why we don't qualify for this funding.
now, lil
whats on your mind tonight?
i just found out that veritas
i just found out that veritas is the name of the roman diety for truth, and is where we get the term vertue from. just thought that it was interesting what i didn't know i didn't know. i just thought it was your last name or something.
ooooooooh
ohhhhhh! bad joke!!! (if that was what it was because that was how i took it)
i agree
i agree that they should do something about snowmachines and ATVs too. i get to listen to all those noisemakers year round. maybe someone should invent some system that pipes the noise into their drivers' headphones since they are the only ones who want to hear it.
relevance
how is any of this relevant to the debate? this is how he gets attention for himself and takes it away from the conversation at hand. don't give in! fight the urge! stay on topic!
dishes
if you get a job washing dishes and cleaning toilets, you'll HAVE next to nothing. you may not be able to go to a party and your feet and ego may ache, but at least you'll have earned something. everyone needs to start somewhere. welfare is a starting point, not a way of life.
actually at one time it was
actually at one time it was the family's responsibility to care for their sick, elderly, and children. BTW: if you actually look at the statistics, you'll note that most college grads. have to work 2 or 3 minimum wage jobs in order to pay off loans because the "higher paying jobs they get after graduation" just aren't there. ask a single welfare mom to get a job and you'll get berated for insensitivity even though they can get free childcare. granted, if they work, it effects how much childcare assistance they get. the fewer hours working equils more free childcare. i work with several who have had to make some tough choices about losing childcare assistance ($100 per week per child) or cuts in food stamps because they earned $40 too much (at dunkin donuts) the month before. i think that not helping working single moms is a bigger crime. at least they are trying. baby popping welfare dependent just aren't trying.
unlike welfare where you
unlike welfare where you don't have to work or do anything but have babies.
bow
did the parrot bow too?
don't engage
He has a right to say what he wants and take things in whatever contex he wants (usually incorrect). He's just looking for an argument, it doesn't matter what the subject or view point. And usually it doesn't get out of the name calling range. If you have an intellegent point make it, and just pass over the empty space.
Its not just in politics.
Its not just in politics. When I lived in Bangor, holding the door open for an elderly person got you the 5th degree. Customer service skills are seriously lacking. But, people will also rip apart a clerk because their smile wasn't friendly enough or it didn't sound like they meant it when they said have a nice day.
In politics, the namecalling and bulling and grave dancing and finger pointing comes from both sides to both sides and sometimes to their own party. Just read the posts here. Nothing gets accomplished, ideas are not discussed, information is not passed, and time and space are just wasted.
I think there should be more
I think there should be more VA hospitals. Many care takers or Veterans have to take a whole day off from work, and travel to Augusta. Some Veterans are unable to drive and must find someone to take them, paying for gas and tolls and possibly hotel rooms.
I lived in OOB for a few
I lived in OOB for a few years. If you like loud bikes, you won't by the end of a summer full groups of them racing by your house at 3AM.
As a parent, I think I'd be
As a parent, I think I'd be ok with it. As long as everyone can be safe and it doesn't become a distraction. I just got done reading Middlesex, and it really gives quite a perspective on gender identity.
I'm still going to write in
I'm still going to write in John Jinkins for gov.
The first state park wasn't
The first state park wasn't in Bangor or Portland? Shhhh! Don't tell them they may not be able to handle it.
A shame it went on for so
A shame it went on for so long. Even bigger same it took so long to come to justice.
I'd agree, but the system is
I'd agree, but the system is already over burdened by unwanted abused children and not nearly enough foster families. I really don't know what the answer would be. You can't force common sense and personal responsability on people, especially on those who profit from lacking these qualities. I just don't know.
Why should any african
Why should any african american, japanese american, jew, italian, franco, irish, islamic, woman, or hispanic risk their lives for a government of God fearing politicians to protect Americans who see you as defective human beings?
Because there are more distructive countries out there. Here, you can go where you want, when you want, with whom you want and if you're hassled you can bring them to justice under antidiscrimination and harassment laws. You can speak whatever language you want and worship whoever or not. There are ignorant, loud mouthed fools and tolarent, wise warriors. Everyone can find moments of each and you can pay attention to whichever you choose. Since everyone can be ignorant at times and tolarant at other times, there are laws to protect both.
You don't fight to protect those who see you as defective. You fight for those who see you as human.
and hospital departments have
and hospital departments have to beg and wait for new equipment, training, supplies, and more personel because of a funding crunch
also absent is how often
also absent is how often hospital departments that are in need of new equipment, training in new proceedures, and more staff and supplies are put on hold due to a funding crunch
I agree. All the suggestions
I agree. All the suggestions were one sided.
There will come a time when
There will come a time when older more experienced workers will fall ill or retire. There will be few who can replace them since the older are hanging on to jobs longer. Even trying to find a job now is a challange for up and comers because most want experienced help only. How do you get experience if you can't get the job to get experience? Who will replace the older more experienced workers if new workers aren't able to learn in temp positions?
The quote of the day!!!!
The quote of the day!!!!
Did it ever occur to you that
Did it ever occur to you that the police are "harassing" you because you are engaging in dangerous behavior? You may be about to cause a car accident, hit another pedestrian, or get hit yourself. Yes, the police do have better things to do then warn teens about how their lack of common sense is a danger to others. The world does not revolve around you, and you must be aware of the world around you. I do agree that you and your friends should take the initiative and design a skate part, just like teens in most other towns have done. That is, if those harassing police will allow you to.
Maybe her union could pay
Maybe her union could pay for paid sick leave for every parent who works at a gas station or corner store, and kick in some money for the employee who will be paid to cover the shift. Paid sick leave costs the employer twice for the same job: once for the sick, once for the cover.
also add: Allowing
also add:
Allowing production jobs to move overseas
Outsourcing, outsourcing, outsourcing
Giving out house loans to people who could never afford them
Allowing credit card companies to raise rates to amounts that prevented people from paying off balances
A war that we can't possibly win against relegious zelots in a completely different culture
Extending social security and welfare benefits to as many as need them to the point that there are more receiving then giving
Wait...those are Clinton and Bush and Bush and Regan era problems that are just now catching up to us. We only inherited the problems from past administrations, we're not responsible for them.
Who would pay for that?
Who would pay for that? Where would the money come from without causing over inflation? Very fun idea, but not logical.
So in 2003 she slipped in
So in 2003 she slipped in someone's spilt soda which was done because of the center's negligence and fell on her backside and got some money from the Rockland Mid Coast Rec Center. Now, Auburn is out to get her by purposefully designing and building and maintaing a timekeeper/scorekeeper box just so that she can get hit in the face with a puck. She should stay away from sporting arenas because they are all out to get her. But then, how would she get attention and free money?
I bumped my elbow today. I
I bumped my elbow today. I put it in a sling because it hurt soooo much and couldn't work. Can I sue to city and get money too? Life shoots lemons at you, you make lemonade and get a life and move on.
Are they sure all of the
Are they sure all of the injury comes from the puck? Should, say, a tooth that was already covered during a previous lawsuit and became looser from this incident be covered? This is why there should be a limit to the amount of times a single thing can be sued over. Yes, she has to live with the consequences for the rest of her life, but she should just move on before it begins to cost her money and respect. Perhaps a cap on the number of times a person can sue in a year? Some people add greatly, if not completely live off of, this sort of thing. It becomes addictive, free money for just getting a boo boo. People like this put too much strain and stress on all organizations and businesses and take so much away from events.
They just prefer the sound
They just prefer the sound of chainsaws, lawn mowers, ATVs, snowmobiles, and pick ups with a glasspack or straight pipe instead of a muffler. The sound of our guys and gals training overhead would just drown out the sound of all their freedom.
Businesses move to where
Businesses move to where ever labor is cheapest, thereby passing on the "savings" on to the consumer. Lewiston textile mills went south to Mexico (the country not the town). From Mexico, to China. From China, to Vietnam and Korea. Africa is the likely next move. Lewiston suffered from joblessness because of products that could be made cheaper thousands of miles away and shipped back to us. Our country has suffered in many ways because of globalization and outsourcing. We are now a people at the whim of others, hogs to slaughter, and through our own laws have found ways to prevent creativity and productivity. I love this country, but hate what has become of it and hope that we can change it for the better before it is too late.
Burning fossil fuels is bad
Burning fossil fuels is bad because they will run out long before winters in maine completely cease to be. The Earth has been hotter and colder then today, and those changes occured naturally not by man made issues (yes meteor strikes are natural). I do think that we are having an affect but not as drastic as it is made out to be but we should be more careful with our resources. Hence, wind power and hydropower and solar power and any other renewable power supply. And EPA and yuppy scum be damned. Put a wind turbine in my back yard and cut me off the grid.
Teenagers need the most care
Teenagers need the most care and guidance. All children should be encouraged and given a gift and made to feel special. Some don't get that at home, especially as they become teens, and it's hardest this time of year for them.
Christmas is not the only
Christmas is not the only time to remember the poor, but for Christians to celebrate the birth of He who gave hope to the poor, the sick, the lonely, and the forsaken. In His spirit, lets remember those less fortunate, and help them all year round.
It's true that Jesus didn't discriminate. He helped the leper, the whore, the tax collector, and the soldier alike. How they got that way didn't matter. Sometimes all He could do was heal their spirit so that they could be happier. However, He never asked that a man give more then he could until his house suffered. He also said to Ceaser what is Ceaser's, to God what is God's. He also said "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime".
We should help eachother as much as we can as often as we can, but not to the extent that the giver suffers. We should also encourage those who try, those who think they can't, and those that don't want to try to become responsible and self relient.
I think that we should be
I think that we should be able to disagree with a person without being called a racist. Just because his skin is a different color then mine shouldn't mean that I have to agree with everything he says and does, nor is skin color the reason to disagree. I disagreed with Bush's policies and behavior too, does that mean that I'm racist? Or are you only a racist if you disagree with a person's policy when that person has a different skin color?
This is Maine. Here, we
This is Maine. Here, we punish the local VFW for holding a cribbage tournament without a gaming license. We tell some Native American tribes that they can't have gambling on their own land, yet allow another to have high stakes bingo. We let one town have an off track betting facility with thousands of slot machines and soon to be added card tables (the law is being altered to allow the "small business" to expand), yet no other town can consider it.
Bangor Baldacci will never
Bangor Baldacci will never allow it. How many times has Oxford County and various Native American tribes tried to build? Baldacci has already promised that he'd veto any competition to The Queen City's casino...i mean Hollywood Slots off track racino with thousands of slot machines, and soon to be added card tables.
Ya, Bangor is such a hole
Ya, Bangor is such a hole now! They have such a high rate of crime and poverty and Lewiston is such an untarnished gem. Ever drive to Foxwoods? The surrounding community is such a trash strewn shambles.
ironic. Isn't there a
ironic.
Isn't there a Twilight Zone episode like that? The guy hits a paperboy, flees, then gets hit in the end by another car.
Was there a time when Maine
Was there a time when Maine was said to have the toughest drunk driving laws in the country?
Her "friends" are just as
Her "friends" are just as much at fault. One "drove in front of her flashing her lights at on coming traffic", as though flashing lights indicate a drunk driver. What idiots. They all should be punished for such stupidity. Her mother should be put in jail right along side, since she seemed to know her kid was drunk. Maybe the sweet, happy, loving young lady should have to pay child support for the 3 year old she left motherless. This was not an accident. There is more then enough education and info about drunk driving that there is no reason that any of these people didn't know what could happen and should have taken the initiative to stop it. They just didn't want to insult their friend, were sitting there having a great time while their friend made a criminal of herself, and wanted someone and something to talk about. They should all be brought up on charges of negligence or something for their hand and knowledge of this powder keg that their friend held a match to.
People always complain that
People always complain that the police used poor judgement. What about the perp? She could always have stopped when the police said to. People always complain that the police chased someone and someone could have gotten hurt which is true. Yet they never say a word about the perp that ran and the damage they cause. In a perfect world, perps wouldn't run and cops wouldn't have to chase them. I hope they lock her up, make her do rehab, repay the damages she caused. But she won't, she has too many problems and just can't be expected to take responsablility of herself.
Why did this go to CAIR
Why did this go to CAIR anyway? There are Muslim advacacy groups in Maine that could have been of much better help. Did they contact CAIR, or did the family, or did that relative in Canada? This was just a completely botched situation, blown completely out of proportion, with nothing to show for the time and energy that was wasted on it.
How are muslims treated in
How are muslims treated in our state. Lets see: Food stamps, MainCare, MediCare, WIC, Section 8, free education, and all the other "perks" that any other poor white christian Mainer has the ability to get. She may have had a problem with English translation for all you know, or was new and didn't know what the policies were. Were you personally present to witness this ACTUAL situation? Or are you just drawing on personal feelings that have little to do with this ACTUAL situation?
Really? Waterfront property?
Really? Waterfront property? IN FLORIDA? How can that be? Florida is a peninsula, so it doesn't have a coast right? I hope you're not the teacher in the family, or at least that your math is better then your geography. Actually, my sister wants to move to Florida and would probubly really enjoy waterfront property if you're really interested in selling.
EVERYONE who has to serve or
EVERYONE who has to serve or deal with the public deserves to be paid more then they are.
Something that has been
Something that has been overlooked is that the Muslim family contacted an outside resource that did NOT contact the school. Contacting a go-between is a wise choice in this matter, since passions were so high. The go-between just didn't "go between" and find out what was going on. It had a knee-jerk reaction and tried to embarass the community. This kind of thing does not help anyone.
People do realize that
People do realize that animals tend to have litters, can overpopulate quickly, spread diseases throughout their own population as well as ours, and freeze and starve to death? Hunters and trappers pay to be allowed to control animal populations that we, the taxpayers, would otherwise have to pay game wardens to control. And as for people who will complain about sprawl, where do you and your EPA friends live? If you live in caves or trees, your taking animals' homes away. If you live in a house, you are contributing to sprawl.
Also, the majority of those
Also, the majority of those who call themselves environmentalists are just as wasteful as the rest of us. They always want everyone else to go out of their way to save the planet, yet they will fly in private jets and don't even think of taking away their hot tubs. When I was in elementary school, we were drilled on environmentally friendly concepts. Wind and hydro powers were supposed to save us all. Now, those will endanger fish and fowl. Come up with new plans and quit whinning when we do what you want.
On a side note: It's been unseasonally warm, which has cut back on fossil fuel used for heating use. Which should be good for the planet, except that it has been unseasonably warm which is bad for the planet.
The hippie generation raised
The hippie generation raised awareness about mind expanding drugs and free love and community sharing. That was what they passed on to their children: drug abuse, promiscuity, and socialism. Dean wrote in the common vernacular of the hippie and rocker generations. Would you have prefered Homie and Dog, the current vernacular?
I think that pre-K programs
I think that pre-K programs are great. Believe it or not, there are children who are not in day care programs and have limited exposure to others their own age (stay at home rural moms, people who rely on family for babysitting b/c day care is too expensive). Pre-K gives these kids a chance to begin the transition between home and school, as well as early testing for learning and behavioral disorders that can sometimes use that extra year to sort out. Then, they start Kindergarden with the same kids as Pre-K, so it's less traumatic for them in Kindergarden.
Well said! Well written!
Well said! Well written!
Another example of
Another example of legislating common sense in the name of safety.
Early American settlers, I
Early American settlers, I mean Native Americans, didn't have socialized medicine. They all worked very hard everyday, and found ways that those who could not work could still contribute to the group. Their groups didn't anywhere near match the numbers we have today. We don't really know much about cancers, birth defects, life threatening illnesses and accidents since they left no written records, and those who held the pen were not competent to write Native American histories. Each Native American nation held their own beliefs, cultures, art, histories, and traditions. The people along the arctic ring practiced infanticide during periods when food was scarce, ancient frozen remains have shown. The Anasazi grew too big for their environment, overpopulated and overcut the trees, and eventually died out due to disease and war, archiological evidence and environmental studies have shown. Life expectency was also much shorter for most, especially after those who held the pen arrived.
I've always been curious as
I've always been curious as to why we'll try to cover abortions but not birth control. Should those who are morally against abortion be expected, through their tax dollars, be forced to pay for them for women who won't keep their legs closed? Rape, incest, and mother's health issues are not matters of convenience, like other matters. Couldn't the govt. save money if they help pay for the birth control and tube ties, or offer other incentives, rather then abortion after abortion after abortion after abortion?
It was also not Bush's War
It was also not Bush's War that pushed women's treatment in the middle east into the dark ages. It was religious and cultural norms that had been in place for a millienia, we just didn't notice before. They can also be stoned for refusing to have sex, stoned for being raped, and stoned if a man saw her brushing her hair by a window.
Congratulations!!!
Congratulations!!!
That poor tourist was only
That poor tourist was only skiing all day, decided to drive home tired, passed several gas stations and rest stops, before falling asleep and causing an accident that took the life of one good man and affected the career (trailer truck insurance and licensing laws don't identify with at fault cases, the TT driver is always punished) and health of a second. The only explanation was that the deceased or the TT driver was drunk or on drugs and caused the accident that the poor tourist was in, not bad decisions made by the tourist. She shouldn't be punished after all, she only made a mistake.
Great! Halt all local
Great! Halt all local development projects! Deter the tourists! Overcharge the residents more to preserve land that they can't utilize! We must preserve a butterfly that has only been seen twice in 100 years!
I know!!! Lets have a vote
I know!!! Lets have a vote on it!!!! More politiking, ads, discussions, phone calls, articles, accusations, and finger pointing!!!
This is coming as a shock,
This is coming as a shock, but I do agree with queenhoneeybee. To say that they are filthy and smell is an unnecessary attempt at a low blow and can be construed as racist, though it is your right to think that. I do agree that since they are here, they must follow our laws and regulations. When I was in H.S., a group of teens used to gather around the flagpole and pray BEFORE the start of the school day. The were told to stop because it was being done on school property, they weren't a school authorized group, and the school couldn't show favoritism to one religious group. This was about 15 years ago. Where are the groups that fought to keep prayer out of school now? Caught in between a rock and a hard place: protecting their rights and being called racist, or siding with one religious group over another. I bet those groups never thought this would happen, which is why they are now silent on the matter. I think that if they are going to have a prayer room for one religious group that it should be open to any student of any religion who wants to pray, and that that room should be monitored for safety, and controlled with times and student capacity and scheduling. That would show tolerance of all cultures and religious organizations. Muslims in this country must be tolerant of other cultures and religions too.
A family friend worked as an
A family friend worked as an investigator for DHS back in the '80s investigating for fraud and dead beat dads. He had 5 people under him at one point. By the early '90s, his staff was cut and his caseload doubled. He has long since retired, but has stories and lessons. The staffing cuts often come first from those responsible for investigating, reporting, and preventing fraud. Making it easier for people to qualify for job placement assistance, education and training would get more people off assistance and back into paying jobs sooner. Where these jobs will come from is still a mystery, but the pride in the accomplishment of getting a much needed GED or training can be a real boost to people's morale. Is birth control covered by MaineCare yet? Some people have said that those unemployed that are capable could run a community garden which could help offset food costs, who knows how plausable that would be.
My question is not just
My question is not just about who will pay for this, but also who will work. Employers don't have a bottomless supply of ready made employees to cover call-outs. It takes time and money to hire, train, and schedual new employees, even per diem staff who may or may not be able to cover on a given day. While this would offer a limited supply of jobs to a limited number of people for a limited amount of time, this isn't as plausable as it seems.
Will this affect the
Will this affect the Hanniford (or generic brand) Eggo-like waffles?
Undocumented wokers (illegal
Undocumented wokers (illegal immigrants) should not be charged a fine for not having insurance since they are not citizens and should not be forced to pay like citizens. But, they should't have the same access to benefits that citizens have without having a way to track undocumented worker payments for these benefits. What are the specific hurdles that prevent undocumented workers from becoming citizens or documented workers? Why aren't those hurdles specifically identified and addressed? This would allow them to have a better life, without fear of deportation, and to help pay their way, since that is (the reason we're told) is why they are here. And why aren't current immigration laws upheld? Is this all too much work for the paper pushers in Washington to deal with?
You must have missed the
You must have missed the comments from No on 1. From vocalizing hopes that only once the elderly are gone that homosexuality will be accepted, to the the continuous use of the term bigot, and assumptions and finger pointing, the No on 1 people behaved no better.
I remember when I was in the
I remember when I was in the LHS marching band. The greatest honor was being in the veteran's day parade, and continuing a tradition to honor our troops. We also had the Maine State parade, the Old Port Festival parade, and a few football games. Weekend compititions were drum and bugle style, with heavy compitition, staging effects and costumes, judges from Mass., real place trophies (not the everyone gets a trophy just for showing up kind), and over 20 bands from across the state broken up into 4 divisions based on band size. Through fundraisers, we paid our own fees and transportation. That was 12 years ago. Thats all gone now.
I quite agree. Didn't New
I quite agree. Didn't New York just do something with this a few years age? A study that showed that picking up trash and taking pride in an area attracted business and tourists, increased tax revanues, contributed to public health and safety, and increased residents pride in themselves? Was it something about redeveloping Times Square?
really
really
Thank you for demonstrating
Thank you for demonstrating real moral character to students, parents, and polititions. The popular way to "appologize" is to say "sorry, but...." and make your mistake someone else's fault.
By taking responsibility for a mistake, you show that you have great moral compass for directing Auburn's youth.
It is best to admit a mistake and try to restore honor.
My husband is an Eagle Scout
My husband is an Eagle Scout from the Kitadin region, and he has maintained his friendships with others that he camped with. From what I understand about scouting, it has more to do with friendships, community, volunteering, teaching skill building and the value of working toward a goal, as well as being the only positive exposure that some boys have with father figures, brother figures, and nature. Church basements serve as community centers in some areas, and are respectful of that role. People of different religions are respected since scouting has little to do with religion, yet still must honor the belief systems that individual people come with.
A democrat is like a
A democrat is like a standard screw, a republican is like a phillips screw. No matter which way you vote, you'll always get a screw.
It should be kept availible
It should be kept availible to bikers as well as hikers, since both enjoy the terrain and there is no reason to establish seperate trails. There have been no hikers or bikers injured, no fights over right of way, and a friendly hiker or biker can always be of assistance in an emergency for another hiker or biker. Lets keep Maine moving!
Remarkably, this has been
Remarkably, this has been Maine's first Amber Alert since it was enacted. Mistakes were made, but much went right. It was a learning experince for many in Maine's media, the first time outside of training sessions that they had to really do it. If there is another alert, then the JSJ and other Maine newspapers may be better able to react now that they see where their bugs are.
Northern Maine has few
Northern Maine has few towers and huge tracts of landmarkless roads. The nearest hospital can be 45 minutes to 2 hours away. In situations when seconds count, "take a left where the old barn used to be" and "if you get to the Griffin farmstead you've gone too far" doesn't really work very well. More towers would take away from the natural surroundings, but that may be what is needed to help triangulate a cell phone and lead emergency workers to an injured person. Would better satilite coverage help? Better tracking equipment for call centers and emergency personel?
Name calling and put downs
Name calling and put downs well get your point across to someone. Just like picking a fight with me has. Look at all the time you could have been contributing to a debate, but instead wasted time in an argument that did nothing to further your cause. And you say that your superior and that i have a mental disorder!
I have no sympathy for those
I have no sympathy for those who choose to be uneducated, and then cry about it. I have less for those who resort to name calling to make attempts at points.
You got paid to arrest
You got paid to arrest people who questioned the government and government policies? BTW: You are sitting behind a computer too. Please don't call others A-Holes ("I got paid to arrest A-holes like you who ran their mouths in public") just because you don't agree with them. Everyone has a right to voice opinions, no matter who agrees or disagrees.
I am sorry, when you said
I am sorry, when you said school i thought you meant college. However, you said he had been working for 22 years, so he had that much time to get a GED and plan ahead. He has been out of work for 2 years and only recently been diagnosed, he could have gotten a job 2 years ago.
i am sorry that he made some bad decisions in life and now suffers.
But my origional issue is with people who milk the system, and get everything the need without working for it. So we are actually on the same side, since your cousin who wants to work and works hard to better himself can't get the help he needs because so many others tap the system that those in need "don't qualify".
The afterlife is a huge part
The afterlife is a huge part of religion so stop pretending it isn't. Again, just because you don't like it when people say someone is in a better place because your logic tells you otherwise, does not mean that that person can't believe in it and find solice in it without someone going all "logical" on them.
Actually, there have been
Actually, there have been many studies that show that cell phone use has increased the number of accidents. The Highway Safety Commission has released stats if you want to check. Also, Maine is not the only state in the union to do this, just the latest. Also, many Mainers, like myself, live in areas without buses or a taxi service. The radio doesn't need to be played with, just set it before you drive off and live with it, or turn it off. If your kids don't know how to behave in the car, pull over and teach them. If your passanger requires all your attention off driving, then don't have a passenger. Common sense makes people responsible for themselves, which is why it's no longer used and must at times be legislated.
Your cousin could have found
Your cousin could have found a job flipping burgers full time at a benefited food service job (yes they do exist) and going to school at night. I work in food service benefited job with people that do just that. There are also cleaning services, grocery, and security jobs. The problem is often that it's a job that people just aren't willing to lower themselves to do. They don't want to start at the bottom of the bottom and work their way up. The work stinks, people's attitudes stink, and the pay stinks. But it's employment. There have also been job fairs, there is the career center, back to work programs, career counceling, and flexible work and school scheduals. Unemployment is nice, but not a lifestyle and lends itself to the winds of government finance change.
I'd like to appologize for
I'd like to appologize for losing my head, taking a cheap shot, and going on a rant. I recognize that I just did what I kept telling others not to do. I am sorry.
However, the death of a loved one, especially a sudden death a young person, is a very emotional one. It is a bad time to start a religious debate over what happens after death. In this country, we have the right to find solace how we want. And, just as you are entitled to your beliefs, others are too. I would have stood up if the comment had been regarding Hindu reincarnation, or dancing around a fire at midnight, or any other religious belief regarding the afterlife.
Just because you have a
Just because you have a problem with religion, doesn't mean everyone else does too! That is THEIR BELIEF just like YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BELIEFS! If you have a problem with religious beliefs consoling mourners, then you live in the wrong country! And I pray, yes pray, that you will never be put into those parents shoes since you will obviously have little to console you! And if you have a problem with the LSJ printing a quote or writing about this person's life in their church or about how their church fellows are reaching out to them or anything positive about christians, TOUGH!
I agree, that cell phone
I agree, that cell phone users are overly distracted. People are overly comfortable in the car, and forget that they are operating and are responsible for a 5000+ lb torpedo traveling at a high velocity. I think that people who have been responsible for an accident attributed to multi tasking should result in the same higher insurance rates that drunk drivers get.
They complain as though they
They complain as though they aren't already subjected to noise from snowmobiles, ATVs, lawn mowers, snow blowers, and great old rebuilt mudrunning pick up trucks, all of which I find more annoying, goes on for hours, and lasts all hours in the day and night. But thats just outdoor fun and chores for many. BTW: I grew up in the landing pattern of the Brunswick NAS, so I am familiar with the sound of planes especially around the time of their air shows. We just turned it into a game of identifying the plane types based on site and sound. All the people in western Maine have to do is make believe they are on their snowsleds, ATVs, or mowing their lawns.
I think that the term
I think that the term "second class citizen" is becoming overused in that anyone who has to follow any rule or restriction is using it. Overuse lessens the impact. Shame on LSJ for overprinting, thus lessening the term.
How is it that your a "second class citizen" because you can't go on a limited few lakes? I must be a third class citizen since I don't own a kayak, can't afford a kayak, nor have the means to transport a kayak. How unfair!
Common sense is no longer so
Common sense is no longer so common, is it?
How will it be funded? The
How will it be funded? The assumption is that employers can afford it yet choose not to. The reality is the ones who don't really can't. The Maine workforce is already paying for an array of services.
Who will replace workers while they are home? Not every company can hire an endless supply of short term replacements (who need to be paid, trained, covered, scheduled, and terminated), and some jobs are not be cross-trainable.
BTW: We had 12 call outs over 3 consecutive days last week. Many had to stay late in order to continue services uninterupted. Overtime pay is not always approved, even in such times.
Maine Care determined that
Maine Care determined that my challenged daughter didn't qualify for coverage and that we didn't qualify for WIC. Of course so many qualify for both who really need it since they "can't" find jobs or "can't" work. That is what happens with blanket government coverages. More people who need it will be denied, and yet will have to pay for it. Fair? Very much to those who will never work.
Let those who enjoy freedom
Let those who enjoy freedom tolerate the noise.
Ya, there is nothing worse
Ya, there is nothing worse then people who disagree with the president's policies having rallies. Especially since they are so under educated that they have the audacity to think that they know what is best for them. Your right queenhoneybee, we shouldn't allow THOSE people to have their say. We should prevent anyone who disagrees with the government from ever speaking or assembling. Perhaps they should be arrested, imprisoned, and seperated from the rest of society. Unless of course they are saying what you agree with, right?
I do believe that we do have the right of free speech, and the right to assemble. Or are those only rights if you agree with the participants?
I am sorry, Mr.Klaus. I had family in Germany, too. Emotions are running too high for rational thought and it's all about shock value. By using the atrocities of the holocaust for public shock for an issue lessens the issue and is disrespectful to the memories of those who are gone.
They live here part time for
They live here part time for 2-4 years, and insulated on campuses. Again, why not let tourists who come here every year vote? How many other states actually allow non-resident students to vote in state issues? And, how many votes for No on 1 came from non-Maine-residential students?
Issue 1: Another dumb
Issue 1: Another dumb teenager who lacks enough character to walk away and be disliked.
Issue 2: Some people's lives evolve around their children, particuly stay at home moms. They lose some focus on the outside world and outside lives and themselves. When you want to talk "kid stuff" go see them, when you want adult conversation find other friends.
National Guard Issue: What
National Guard Issue: What would be enough study time for environmentalists? Also, snowmobiles, ATVs, and those great old, rebuilt, mud running pick up trucks tend to be much louder and for much longer durations. Just more fun for the locals.
"Got Your Bags, Maine": Lower the price of reusable bags, or hold a free give away day, or offer them instead of plastic bags and you've got yourself a deal. Remember: Cost and convienience are what make or break recycling programs for today's busy, cash strapped people. (All rhetoric aside)
Roxbury: Pay attention, dig your heads out. Now you have to waste time and money examining a defunct bill because of a knee jerk reaction concerning wind farm construction, I'm sure. Maybe next a petition to prevent people from passing petitions without presenting physical proof of Ordinance changes. Or the petition signers could just attend local meetings.
Beer and Wine Tasting: Blackening windows and doors and putting up signs has always worked to prevent children from entering a banned area and getting an eyeful. Our detached government at work.
Check out the Maine
Check out the Maine government. How many times have we had an issue or a tax jammed through because it was in our best interest, then had to recall it and have a vote? You are the one focused on a "birth certificate" and missed the point of the letter. Lets increase welfare spending instead of spending on job training, rehabilitation, industry investment/job creation. Cradle to the grave support is a great idea, but not sustainable, especially with an aging population with fewer people to replace them. Increasing the length of unemployment benefits will help many today, but not forever. Dumping trillions of dollars into failing companies and programs aren't going to make people buy overpriced bad products, nor increase or stabalize the workforce.
Paul seems to not have
Paul seems to not have noticed that every article about that vote has been written about how horrible we are and how unfair it is and how the g/l community is going to force the issue anyway. Also, the vast majority of letters to the editor that are printed are about the same, and many responses call for the death of the elderly, often fall into name-calling, and end in a "urinating contest" (Though they'll allow the term "bigot" to be flung around, I didn't think they'd allow the real phrase).
Colleges are traditionally
Colleges are traditionally the breeding places of liberal, anything goes ideas and movements. Then the students graduate and have to live in the real world, and typically change their minds. Look at the Baby Boomer Generation. Sit ins and political rallies were the norm. They were going to change the world with free love and mind altering drugs. Then they grew up, found out that their parents were right about those drugs and free love, and that expanded welfare was good on paper but not sustainable. Most of those old fogies that many No on 1 people want to hurry up and die won't do so anytime soon since their babyboomers and have healthcare, and they are replaced by a younger generation of people who've grown up believing in open-mindedness and diversity, yet go back to their conservative roots as they age.
The comments weren't about
The comments weren't about students from Maine who live in Maine and stay in Maine. It's about students from Oklahoma or Michigan or Texas who come for the education and go home. As for them using the roads, ect., and having the right to say how their money is spent. Why don't we allow tourists who vacation here from other states have a vote too? A Bowdoin College employee that I know was rather disquested that students can come here, vote, and NOT LIVE WITH THE CONSEQUENCES of those votes, including higher taxes and fewer services. That is the problem.
you did miss the point, so i
you did miss the point, so i will simplify. It's not what you inherit, its what you do with it that counts.
Isn't the big concern about
Isn't the big concern about the H1N1 is that it has a higher potential to mutate into a more dangerous virus and seems more easily communicable then the common flu's abilities to do so? Since viruses (a piece of different DNA and protein) utilize a body's DNA to "procreate" (a very abbriviated explination), each new case has the potential to change into a much more deadly, extremly communicable strain. Also, where hand washing helps with the common flu, H1N1 is communicable even prior to the onset of symptoms, which can be up to 10 days of exposure, and can be spread to people within a 6 foot area, or the spray length of a sneeze.
That said, the only people thus far to have died are those who had underlying medical conditions,
like heart problems or other severe illnesses, are elderly, or are pregnant which can tap a women's body defenses. Most people get it and get over it and move on in life.
Also, you probably shouldn't get the vaccine if you have a cold or other flu because that can tax a body's already tapped immune system. But thats up to you and your doctor.
I appologize to all the
I appologize to all the heterosexual people who are called "bigot" and "nutcase" because they have a different point of view then the darlings of the political spectrum. And queenhoneybee, do you have opinions about anything else since i've never seen you post anything anywhere else? Mabey we agree on other issues, or are you afraid that enemies in one arena can be allies in another? While this issue has split people (and our enemies are laughing while they plot), we are all facing the same much larger and much more dangerous enemies: a pendemic, war, financial crisis.
It's not what you inherit
It's not what you inherit its what you do with it. I can inherit a junk truck, then sell off the parts or build art sculptures or build a better truck or sell it. Or I can whine and point out that it's not my responsibility and that all I did was inherit it. BTW: Under Bush, stimulis money was sent to consumers to spend or save. Under Obama, stimulis money was sent to failing wall street executives, failing large companies, and failing banks all of which are now doing sooooo well. So, who was for "Big Corporation" and who was for the common working man? Most of the countries economic woes are due to our own greed at buying houses we couldn't afford, using credit like it was a bottomless well, living well beyond our means, and spending more then we could ever hope to pay back. Reality was going to happen eventually.
It is true that we have an
It is true that we have an engorged welfare state that sucks the life out of the working person. In an effort to never exclude those in true need, we give to anyone who can act like they have a need. Dropped out of H.S., got pregnant, never had a job for more then a week, and have a drug prob.? Heres everything you need for the rest of your life without taking resposibilty for yourself because you deserve it. We'll just make the veterans, elderly, and disabled children wait in line and jump through hoops. And God help the working person who gets injured and needs some short term assistance. Those less worthy souls (veterans, elderly, children, injured workers) are helped on paper, but rarely in real life and rarely to the extent of those honerable people who just made a few mistakes and deserve to be carried for for the rest of their lives.
Give a man a fish, you'll feed him for the day. Teach a man to fish, and you'll feed him for a lifetime.
Members of the media are not
Members of the media are not psychiatrists, psycologists, or sociologists. They just play one on TV.
She meant the name calling
She meant the name calling and cat fighting (her word). Why can't people just compromise?
My cat wants to know how
My cat wants to know how much longer this is going to go on.
What was inflammatory about
What was inflammatory about Pirate's comments? The term "civil union" or the word "comprimise", which would bring more support to the g/l communtiy then the favored word "bigot" has?
Respect has many meanings
Respect has many meanings apparently. Respect does not mean that the minority will always get what it wants. It means that the majority allows the minority to have a voice. Gay/Lesbians had their friends in Augusta pass a social change bill, and they had just as much publicity (if not more) and air time during the months leading up to the election.
The troop greeters are great
The troop greeters are great people for doing that. Too bad they forget that the jerk that didn't move the seat back to the exact same location and needs to be loudly "corrected" since "humiliation is the best teacher" and "they shouldn't have to" adjust their own seat, is the same returning soldier they greeted not long before. Yes, I lived in Bangor, and worked with a soldier, and witnessed that exchange.
You are right that we did
You are right that we did radicalize after Pearl Harbor and horrifically punish many innocent Japanese immigrents right here on American soil. That is the tough point that the article is trying to make. We don't want to punish innocent persons, yet how do we identify and locate dangerous persons and prevent them from killing innocent persons without insulting other innocent persons? You can point your fingers and claim that we invaded and that the soldiers got what they deserved, as I know some people out there will write. Did you forget 9/11/01 already?
And, yes, I have been unjustly targeted by members of authority trying to prevent others from doing harm, which they still did while the authority figures were busy with me. Those that do the most harm are chamilions, able to hide in plain sight. But, like I said, it is a tough position to identify the innocent from the guilty.
Since homosexual civil
Since homosexual civil unions are legal in Maine, why not expand on those rights? Civil unions exist so that people can have legally authorized unions without church interference. It gives people that religious institutions would not marry the rights that religiously married couples have. That is the seperation of church and state. If the civil union rights aren't the same, then those should be changed to reflect the changes in society.
Also: Since the No on 1 people have already promised to put us all through this again, stop the name calling, moral judgements, strong words, and hopes for older people to die. That kind of thing tends to stick with voters.
Nor does it entitle one law
Nor does it entitle one law abiding citizen to harass another law abiding citizen because of a difference of opinion.
So, a 40 year old man having
So, a 40 year old man having sex with a 10 year old should have his rights protected. Makes sense.
No on ever said that
No on ever said that everything that happens is welcome or permitted or fair.
Then it is the fight with
Then it is the fight with the insurance companies you want. Changing a word here may not change the company policy if that company's base is in a state that does not acknowledge homosexual marriage or if the policy does state it. If there is no last will and testament which states where the inheritance goes, it get tied up and used up. The social definition of marriage doesn't change that.
African Americans wanted a
African Americans wanted a voice and a chance. Homosexuals already have both, including just as much acceptence as anyone else. All "people" are discriminated against, robbed, beaten, insulted, intimidated, and murdered. Ignorance, crime, and disease know no distinctions. Welcome to society.
Good idea. Compromise in
Good idea. Compromise in defeat is an honorable thing.
"Everyone" includes every
"Everyone" includes every one, not everyone except.......
If thats what you mean then that is what you should say.
Example: Everyone adult should be allowed a loving, stable relationship EXCEPT for those adults that want it that with an underaged child, the age to be determined by the society one lives in.
I stated that in some
I stated that in some countries (the same ones that kill homosexuals), adults are allowed to merry what we consider to be underaged girls. So, who is it that determines what is acceptable for marriage?
Name calling and put downs
Name calling and put downs might make good television, but it does little for debate, or discussion threads.
Yet, there are many cultures
Yet, there are many cultures that send their daughters into marriage at what we consider to be underage. So, once again, what is the line and who can decide what that line is?
Teachers convey a number of
Teachers convey a number of things. They are human with an opinion. My niece's teacher worked in a No on 1 lecture during class time for her students to bring home. I have also heard of teachers inappropriate reactions concerning the president and soldiers going to war. I was trying to point out that, while No Child Left Behind "ties teachers down" as was mentioned in the blog I was responding too, there are many ways that teachers can still intentially or unintentially communicate personal political opinions on children who may or may not understand, but are still underprepared for adult debates.
I take it you haven't read
I take it you haven't read many posts or spoken to many people in the last month because the Yes on 1 people have been labeled as homophobes. I do agree with you that the No on 1 people should take note. Labeling those opposed to you, name calling, utilizing out of state money and personel, and back room deals don't work with this crowd. Yes, Yes on 1 used most of those those, too, but their not the ones trying to change a social custom.
So we vote on it again
So we vote on it again today. And again tomorrow. And again. And again. Are you hoping to wear people down? If, after months of tv, radio, mail, door to door visits, home phone calls, and newspaper stories hasn't changed people's minds, would asking people to vote everyday on this until you get what you want really work? Also, just because you change the definition of a word doesn't mean that anyone would accept it. And, in this state, forcing such things have often had the opposite effect.
While teachers might not
While teachers might not have time to teach an individual agenda, they can always slip in a comment, roll their eyes, change a voice pitch, or ask a pointed question. You are trained that there are verbal and non-verbal ways to communicate....and intimidate.
I just wanted to remind
I just wanted to remind everyone that while we are divided on this issue, that there are still things that don't acknowledge race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation that we as a people must deal with.
I wasn't married in a
I wasn't married in a church, but by a justice of the peace in the living room surrounded by friends and family. According to many christians, we are not married. Yet, most of society acknowledges our union. The only ones who said it didn't matter, besides the church, was the No on 1 people.
As for the "Right" religion, everyone has a right to their own personal religious beliefs. If someone doesn't agree with someone else, that is also their right.
Now back to other
Now back to other issues:
There is still a war going on, which affects gay and straight and black and white and christian and non-christian soldiers and their families.
We are in a recession, and gay and straight and christian and islamic and jews and black and white alike are all losing homes and jobs or are otherwise affected.
There is a pandemic flu going around which also acknowledges no sexual orientation, skin color, or religion.
Lets keep in mind: there are still things that we are still all in together.
1. The special rights are,
1. The special rights are, for example, after you lose your job, claiming you were targeted because of your sexual preference, not because of poor job performance or cut backs, and getting your day in court for it with all the expense, lost business time, negative publicity, and scrutiny for the former employer. Not everyone gets this right.
2. You are correct that many laws are passed without people voting on them, and many have come under scrutiny and recalled after a people's veto because people are tired of elected officials not hearing them.
3. Everyone is a member of an unpopular minority at one time or another, and yes it stinks. That is why we have elections where the majority rules, and yes that can stink, too.
4. Yes, marriage has been redefined many times throughout history, but always with the acknowledgement and acceptance of the people.
I'm pretty sure that the
I'm pretty sure that the "death panel" comment followed one by someone who wrote to the effect that once the greatest generation people die off, that homosexual marriage will be made legal by the following generations.
I meant in general. Anytime
I meant in general. Anytime anyone wants to have a conversation about a topic, the opposing party often times falls back onto name calling and smear tactics. That stuff might make the talking heads on tv more interesting, but it rarely leaves a positive lasting impression and any good points that follow are lost in a personal defensive shouting match. This seems to be the new debating method. One which leads to polarization with limited information or education exchanged, especially for emotionally charged topics which require both.
Enough with the smearing and
Enough with the smearing and name calling. It is counterproductive in a debate.
Churches are closing. Church
Churches are closing. Church leaders say that it is because of declining membership. So, how is it that an institution with declining numbers has such a power over people that are not a part of it?
You are right in that people
You are right in that people do have a right to choose who they want to be with. We don't kill homosexuals like they do in many countries. The question was not if homosexuals have the right to exist, work, live, be educated, or be in a committed relationship. It was a question put to the public if they wanted to redefine a custom that has its roots in religion. If 2 guys or 2 girls are in a committed relationship, they can legally have a civil union with all the tax benefits that are included in a religious marriage, and most people will acknowledge their husband or wife.
Just out of curiosity, when
Just out of curiosity, when the Federal Government passes a law to make sure everyone has full equality, will that also include pediphiles? They are, unfortunatly, included in "everybody". A 40 year old man concludes that he and his 10 year old concubine have a commited relationship and deserve marriage rights. As does his friends and their child brides. Who are you to say otherwise? Where is the line in "everybody" and who is it that has the right to decide?
Haven't read very many of
Haven't read very many of the No on 1 comments have you? Or do you just agree with those hateful comments and only take issue with those hateful Yes on 1 comments that you don't agree with?
Vote No ran just as many
Vote No ran just as many ads. My niece told me that her teacher "had a soapbox moment" and lectured the class about why their parents should vote No on 1. Inappropriate use of class time? Yes.
1. People who are
1. People who are complaining about the Catholic Church seem to forget that Islam also forbids homosexuality, and even calls for killing them. Yet, to say that you want to see an Islamic mosques close is considered bigoted.
2. If people wanted others to stay out of their business, then they shouldn't have gotten their friends in Augusta to pass and sign a bill behind the backs of the same people whose beliefs they want to change.
3. Stop the name calling. This is a democracy, the people have spoken. If you're going to put this on the ballot again, name calling and attacking religion is going to alienate more voters.
You are correct, I had been
You are correct, I had been told wrong several years ago.
Yet, no mention about Medicare or what is owed to hospitals. Medicare is public healthcare, funded through taxes.
That is hideous and
That is hideous and disturbing that such things are still out there. And awful about the scalps too.
Doesn't local wildlife know
Doesn't local wildlife know that they have to share the road?
I would like the Snowmobile
I would like the Snowmobile Association of Maine to submit an environmental impact survey. ATVs anyone? How about snowblower and lawnmower makers, since that noise can last most of the morning or evening. We are tying our military's hands when it comes to training. I think that the national guard should be able to practice. The people in western Maine can just turn on their ATVs, snowmobiles, pick-ups, and rebuilt classic cars to drown out the noise.
You should learn to be more
You should learn to be more careful, or learn basic first aide. The med staff up there were probubly just as annoyed with you and your minor cut as you were with them.
I agree that by going to the hospital with a minor cut that only needed some gauze, glue, and a few band aids, you asked for the best aide possible, and anything less would have been cause for a lawsuit. Doctors lose about 60% of their personal income in malpractice coverage. Also, since Medicare and Mainecare are so behind in paying their hospital bills, the operating cost must be passed on somewhere.
Everyone seems to be
Everyone seems to be underpaid for their work lately. How much do people who complain want? A paycheck PLUS free housing, free family healthcare coverage, free food, free cloths? Would that be enough? What would be enough?
Can teachers use items bought for classroom use as a tax deductable under work related purchases? Some kind of reimbersment for such things would be fair.
First, I agree that too
First, I agree that too often we hear "drivers share the road", but never bikers and joggers share the road. They complain about how nervous vehicles make them. Yet, on country roads lacking bike lanes and barely wide enough for 2 cars to pass each other, they ride in the middle or in large knots that block the road. I agree that bikers and joggers need to share the road also.
Secondly, I have been harassed and assaulted while jogging ON THE SIDEWALKS AND IN BIKE LANES in Sanford, Bangor, and Old Orchard Beach. Most just screamed profanities and made sexual comments. I've had glass bottles, water balloons, and all sorts of trash hurled at me. I was shot in the back with a paint gun in Old Orchard. I started bringing my cell phone with me, and just holding it to my ear and pointing has stopped people in mid throw. I wish I could say that this was all done by young boneheads, but sadly even middle aged people did it.
Is that the only thing you
Is that the only thing you saw in what I wrote? Not that the Islamic communtiy is silent, or that most other countries prohibit homosexuality with the punishment of death. The only thing that made sense is a TV station comment. No wonder logic and common sense are dead in this country.
Education can happen at home
Education can happen at home as well as in the classroom. We should all take a vested interest in our children, not just dump them off on someone else. They are our responsibility, and while a teacher is a great tool, they should not be the only ones responsible. Why pay more? If people can homeschool, then we can help the teachers by helping to teach our own children. Flashcards, PBS, coloring and tracing books, shopping and bill paying and cooking, taking a walk, taking advantage of the public library, watching the evening news, and just talking are all cheep or free ways that we all can help. It is about educating our children, not the teacher's union.
A few years ago, we were
A few years ago, we were asked to vote in legislation preventing workplace discrimination of homosexuals. Voters were assured that this had nothing to due with marriage. I voted to prevent discrimination. Following the win the very next day, comments were printed that marriage was next.
We were asked to vote on how individual businesses hired and fired employes, yet we were informed how we were going to define something personal.
Marriage norms are defined by the society, not the Christian Bible. I do find it interesting that the
Bible is often the target (or weapon), yet the Islamic Koran does define marriage and discriminate
against homosexuals. People of Islam are members of this community, and have the right to vote, yet their opinion has been completely overlooked and understated. Why is that?
If homosexuals think that they have it rough here, they should look at India, Afghanistan, and China's treatment of homosexuality. Remember, in the U.S., you have discrimination protection, the right to adopt, cable channel (LOGO), public demonstration allowences, media representation, organized groups and clubs, some church's acknowledgements, and partner benefits.
Imagine having a job where
Imagine having a job where you come in early and stay late, all on your own time. Your pay raise, if you get one, is usually around 1%. You work weekends and holidays. Sick and vacation time is based on how much you work in a week, 40 hours gets you 1 hour of vacation time. There may or may not be someone to cover for you if an emergency pulls you away from work, and it "counts against you" on your evaluation. You have to deal with rude, degrading, and sometimes violent people with a smile and professionalism since anything less will "count against you" on your evaluation. Health insurance, if offered, is expensive since you make around $20,000 a year if you're lucky. Welcome to the service industry, which is the largest employing industry in Maine. Surprised?
Many of the families of these students work just as hard and don't have insurance options. Some may be facing losing their home and having to move. The teachers need to get over themselves. If they really did feel that teaching was their calling in life then what they receive in compensation would be sufficient since alternatives present significantly less.