A Philadelphia man was caught red handed this week for using a cell phone jammer to keep his fellow passengers on a public transit bus from using their cell phones.
“I guess I’m taking the law into my own hands,” he told a reporter from NBC10 about the illegal jammer, “and quite frankly, I’m proud of it.”
Teresa Masterson, a writer at NBC10, first encountered the jammer on her morning commute and tipped off NBC Investigators. She told the blog Philebrity:
While riding the bus, my cell phone signal suddenly went out, which is not normal, and continued to search for a signal for 15 minutes. After a little while, I noticed that everyone else on the bus on his/her cell was having the same problem. Then, I see this guy (pictured at right). He’s openly holding something that looks like a walkie talkie with four antennae in his hand the whole time. Anytime someone would try their cell again, this guy would subtly turn in their direction, press a button and point it at them, then continue reading his book under his creepy hood… I’m pretty sure it was one of those devices that cuts off signals; Jennifer Lopez used one in Enough, so that’s all the scientific analysis I need.
>Senator Frank R. Lautenberg responds on “Operation Fast and Furious”
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) initiative known as Operation Fast and Furious. I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.
As you may know, Operation Fast and Furious is an ATF initiative in Phoenix, Arizona seeking to reduce violent crime associated with Mexican criminal organizations in the U.S. and to prevent these organizations from illegally obtaining firearms and explosives from the U.S. The operation is part of a larger ATF strategy known as Project Gunrunner. Through this project, ATF has recommended more than 2,500 criminals for prosecution and seized more than 10,000 firearms illegally destined for Mexico.
Operation Fast and Furious has received increased scrutiny after the December 2010 shooting death of Customs and Border Protection Agent Brian Terry in Arizona. Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) has asked for an investigation into Project Gunrunner because of concerns that ATF knew the weapon used to kill Agent Terry was bought illegally, but allowed the sale to proceed. Senator Grassley has requested that an independent Inspector General conduct a review of Project Gunrunner. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has also requested that a special counsel be appointed to investigate the matter.
During Senate consideration of a bill (H.R. 2112) funding ATF and a number of other federal agencies, an amendment was introduced that would prohibit funding for Operation Fast and Furious or other operations during which federal agents are not continuously monitoring or controlling firearms at all times. This amendment passed the Senate with my support. The bill to which it is attached must now be approved by the Senate and the House before this provision can be signed into law.
Please be assured that I am closely monitoring this issue and will keep your views in mind should the Senate consider further relevant legislation. Thank you again for contacting me
Amphibious rolling beach chair that can roll over sand and into water and float:
www.mobi-chair.com
If you think this idea is worth trying, please write to the council. Their email addresses are on the Village website. Go to https://www.ridgewoodnj.net and click on “Council & Mayor” on the left side, or:
>Dolan blasts White House contraception plan as ‘freedom of religion battle’ By KEVIN SHEEHAN and GARY BUISO Last Updated: 2:25 PM, March 3, 2012 Posted: 2:18 PM, March 3, 2012
It’s holy war!
Cardinal Timothy Dolan ramped up the battle with the White House today, blasting the government for a controversial new regulation that would require providing free contraceptive services to workers of religious institutions.
“Don’t impose your teaching upon us and make us do as a church what we find unconscionable to do!” the freshly minted prince of the church told a roaring crow of 1,000 at Holy Trinity Diocesan HS in Hicksville.
In a blistering attack interlaced with humor, Dolan never mentioned President Obama by name — only his policies.
But he did bring up President Lyndon B. Johnson.
“President Johnson said, ‘As an American I look to the church — I look to religion as a beehive. If you leave them alone they’re going to give you tons of their honey. But if you stick your head in there, you’re going to get stung bad.’”
Washington softened its stance on the prickly issue last month, saying that insurers would foot the bill, not the Church’s schools, hospitals or clinics.
But on his blog, Dolan, who was elevated to cardinal on Feb. 18, said that he and the bishops, “are still as worried as ever.”
He told the crowd of church leaders that the battle over the US Health and Human Services regulation is bigger than contraception.
>Two Centuries of Religious Freedom Rolled Back Mike Brownfield March 1, 2012 at 8:51 am
Since 1791, when the Bill of Rights was formally adopted, America has enjoyed the legal protection of religious freedom, enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Today, 221 years later, centuries of progress in the protection of religious and other liberties is at risk of being rolled back in one fell swoop. The culprit: Obamacare.
As we all know, President Obama’s health care law will mandate that religious hospitals, charities, and schools abandon the tenets of their faiths and provide their employees insurance coverage of abortion-inducing drugs, contraception and sterilization. This anti-conscience mandate is but the latest assault on liberty Obamacare has ushered in. Its shock waves are reverberating across the country, waking Americans to the fact that our first freedom — religious liberty — will be the first to fall now that the federal government has unfettered control over the country’s health care system.
Some in Congress are taking action to combat Obamacare’s onslaught. Today, the Senate will consider an amendment introduced by Senator Roy Blunt (R-Missouri) and co-sponsored by Marco Rubio (R-Florida) that would override Obamacare’s anti-conscience mandate, allowing religious institutions to keep their faith and provide health care coverage for their employees. So important is this amendment that The Heritage Foundation’s sister organization, Heritage Action for America, has decided to “key vote” the measure, meaning that it has identified the vote as a seminal one.
Conflicting views over State’s strategic growth plan
Hearing sharply divergent views, the state last night concluded a series of six public hearings on its draft strategic investment plan, a blueprint for targeting where growth should occur in the future in New Jersey and where development should be discouraged.
The plan, unveiled last October by the Christie administration, overhauls and replaces a State Plan and Redevelopment Plan put in place a decade ago, which even its advocates acknowledge failed to achieve its objectives.
The 41-page plan emphasizes economic growth instead of environmental preservation by establishing geographic industry clusters where the state will direct investments and resources to bolster high-growth sectors, such as finance, healthcare, and the ports. (Johnson, NJ Spotlight)
>Senator Robert Menendez responds to questions regarding the budgeting and appropriations process
Thank you for contacting me regarding the budgeting and appropriations process. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter and having the opportunity to respond.
Congress passed the Budget Control Act and it was signed into law on August 2, 2011. It set discretionary spending caps, provided enforcement mechanisms, and created a process for addressing entitlement spending and revenues.
The Budget Control Act was even more extensive than a traditional budget because it has the force of law, unlike a budget resolution that is not signed by the President. It provided mechanisms to increase the debt limit ceiling so that the United States government can meet existing obligations the Congresses and presidents of both parties have made in the past. The Budget Control Act established discretionary caps for 10 years, instead of the one year normally set in a budget resolution. These caps will provide approximately $1 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade. Additionally, the Budget Control Act stipulated that if the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction did not produce an agreement to further reduce deficits by $1.2 trillion, then automatic spending cuts will be trigged by sequestration beginning in January 2013. The Joint Committee was not able to produce an agreement by the November 2011 deadline so the automatic spending cuts will take place unless Congress can develop a balanced plan this year to reduce the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion.
The President has laid out a blueprint of his budget priorities for the coming fiscal year, and it will ultimately be up to Congress to pass appropriation bills that will fund the federal government and provide additional deficit reduction. I share your desire to see our country headed down a more sustainable path, and I am committed to a balanced approach to reducing our nation’s deficits. In 2010, I voted to establish the Bipartisan Task Force for Responsible Fiscal Action, the precursor to the Bowles-Simpson commission, to review all aspects of the financial conditions of our government including tax policy and entitlement spending. I have supported budget enforcement measures like statutory PAYGO to control both spending and revenue. I led the effort to cut $21 billion in unwarranted oil subsidies and supported saving almost $6 billion this year alone by cutting ethanol subsidies. In addition, I voted for $2.4 trillion in cuts combined with a joint committee process that could include revenues as part of the deficit reduction equation. I also voted to cut more than $40 billion in discretionary spending from FY10 funding levels in this year’s appropriations bills alone.
I share your frustration and recognize that deficit spending and our accumulated debt must be addressed in a way that will substantially reduce the gap between our commitments and our resources. Getting our fiscal house in order must go hand-in-hand with policies that will restore economic growth, create jobs and strengthen the middle class. I have said from the beginning that we must do so in a balanced way that calls for shared sacrifice, just as the American people have continually demanded. That’s why I have proposed cutting unwarranted big oil and ethanol subsidies as well as closing off-shore tax havens, which will enhance revenues as part of the way to achieving significant deficit reduction.
Again, thank you for taking the time to express your thoughts on this important issue. As your federal representative, I will keep your views in mind as I work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enact sound fiscal policy that invests in our future and protects the economic security our nation’s children. I invite you to visit my website (https://menendez.senate.gov) to learn more about how I am standing up for New Jersey families in the United States Senate.
>Valley Hospital’s art gallery features a painter and photographer
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2012 BY EILEEN LA FORGIA STAFF WRITER THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
February’s exhibit of paintings and photos at The Valley Hospital Gallery is bringing smiles to viewers.
John Reilly is showing oil paintings in a variety of sizes: landscapes, snowscapes, cityscapes and florals. He described his technique as a “loose, impressionistic style.” He says his favorite things to paint are people and urban scenes.
“Show Business” is an oil painting of the theater district in New York City with a marquee of “Lion King.” “Good Ole Reliable Nathan’s” shows the iconic hot dog stand with the cyclone (roller coaster) in the background. “Room at the Top” features the Plaza’s Oak Room entrance and a horse drawn carriage. Central Park is shown in a winter scene. “Slippery When Wet,” “You Sleigh Me,” “Say It Isn’t Snow,” “Bridge Over Icy Water,” “Let’s Break the Ice,” and “The Icing on the Lake” all celebrate winter. “Here We Snow Again” is a very large snowscape.
Come and enjoy an authentic English Fish & Chips Dinner at Christ Episcopal Church, 105 Cottage Place, Ridgewood, NJ on Wednesday, March 14th from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm. Chicken Tenders & Chips dinners are also available. Eat in or dine out. Tickets are $13 and $10 for seniors and children under 12. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
For tickets or more information please call the Christ Church office at 201.652.2350.
>Reader Questions Paul Aronsohn Endorsement by Ines Bunza — President of LSHSA
I’d like to know why Ines Bunza is making statements for LSHSA. Not all of us are fond of Paul Aronsohn and our not for profit status precludes us from making political statements. This might be her personal opinion but when she says she is President of LSHSA she drags us through the mud with her.
From his website:
“Paul has been a strong, effective advocate for the special needs children in the Ridgewood schools and has worked tirelessly to forge a committed relationship between the Central Business District, municipal departments, and our students.” Ines Bunza — President, Ridgewood Learning Services, HSA February 27, 2012
>Hands Off My Healthcare Rally Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at 1:00 PM (ET) Washington, DC
Let’s send a message to the Supreme Court, Congress, and President Obama: “Hands Off My Health Care!”
West Bergen Tea Party is partnering with the Americans For Prosperity to rally in front of the Supreme Court Building in Washington as the Supreme Court starts hearings on the constitutionality of Obamacare
There will be a Bus Leaving from Boulder Run Shopping Center, 327 Franklin Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ (Wyckoff Stop & Shop) at 7 am. We hope to return by 8:00 pm, just in time to get to the end of the West Bergen Tea Party Meeting at the Larkin House.
The cost of the bus is $10 per person, get your reservations at https://handsoffmyhealthcare.eventbrite.com
Select the bus leaving from Boulder Run If you have any problems contact Joel or Susan Winton 201 891-5918, or [email protected]
> Obama’s Hidden Tax Hikes Mike Brownfield March 2, 2012 at 8:32 am(24)
EXCLUSIVE: It could be said that President Obama has never seen a tax hike he doesn’t like — whether it’s letting the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts expire, insisting on higher taxes for job creators, and yesterday calling on Congress to raise taxes on the oil industry. But as much as the President wants to raise taxes, Heritage has discovered that there are even more tax hikes hidden in his budget, adding up to a total of $2 trillion in higher taxes. In a new report, Heritage’s Curtis Dubay uncovers Obama’s hidden tax hikes and finds that the President’s proposed $1.561 trillion tax increase over 10 years is much bigger than advertised. In fact, the President wants to raise taxes by $1.689 trillion – that’s $128 billion more than was reported by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the President’s FY 2013 budget proposal.
What’s to account for the discrepancy? Dubay explains that OMB reports the tax hikes in areas other than the tax section, misleading readers into believing that the President’s tax hikes are smaller than they are in reality. Among them are the “Financial Crisis Responsibility Fee,” better known as the bank tax, which adds another $61 billion to the President’s tax hike total; a $44 billion tax hike from allowing the IRS to adjust a program integrity cap; a $48 billion increase of the unemployment tax; and a $1 billion hike of user fees for commercial navigation of inland waterways.
How’s that for “the most transparent White House in history”?
But wait, there’s even more.
On top of the $128 billion in hidden taxes, the President takes credit for tax cuts when he really doesn’t deserve it. Dubay reports that the budget includes $317 billion in pre-existing tax cutting policies, including the payroll tax holiday ($31 billion), the American Opportunity Tax Credit ($137 billion), the Research and Experimentation Credit ($109 billion), the group of tax-reducing policies known as the “tax extenders” ($34 billion), along with a handful of other provisions totaling $6 billion — even though these policies were already part of the tax code. In other words, the President wants to get all the credit, while dodging the blame.
>Killing babies no different from abortion, experts say
Parents should be allowed to have their newborn babies killed because they are “morally irrelevant” and ending their lives is no different to abortion, a group of medical ethicists linked to Oxford University has argued.
The article, published in the Journal of Medical Ethics, says newborn babies are not “actual persons” and do not have a “moral right to life”. The academics also argue that parents should be able to have their baby killed if it turns out to be disabled when it is born.
The journal’s editor, Prof Julian Savulescu, director of the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics, said the article’s authors had received death threats since publishing the article. He said those who made abusive and threatening posts about the study were “fanatics opposed to the very values of a liberal society”.
>GM temporarily halts production of Volt By Keith Laing – 03/02/12 03:39 PM ET
General Motors has temporarily suspended production of its Volt electric car, the company announced Friday.
GM, which is based in Detroit, announced to employees at one of its facilities that it was halting production of the beleaguered electric car for five weeks and temporarily laying off 1,300 employees.
